I have a Masters in Education and come from an educational background. I was CPS teacher for eight years. I pivoted to business and private equity opening two restaurants and an ice company.
I would like people to know that Pilot Light is changing the entire construct in the way kids see food and how food can bring us together. We need to make bigger tables to eat not bigger walls to separate us. Food brings people together and Pilot Light is helping children and their families understand this through education.
I first got involved with Pilot Light in 2015. It is a good story. At this point in my career, I already had pivoted to business in the hospitality industry. I was on the way to have a business meeting with one of the founders and board members of Pilot Light, Matthias Merges. At the time, I did not know this. On the way to the meeting, I was listening to NPR on the radio and sure enough they were interviewing Matthias. The interview was about Pilot Light. I was so intrigued! After my business meeting with Matthias, I told him about my educational background and asked if I could somehow get involved with Pilot Light. He was excited too and put me in contact with the Executive Director, Alexandra Desorbo-Quinn. The rest is history.
My favorite childhood memory is smelling my mom’s food. She was an amazing cook. She used to make dishes from her home country of Peru. One dish she made was Chupe de Camarones –shrimp chowder. The smell would lift me out of bed.
If I created a Pilot Light lesson, it would be titled “Depression-Era Bread” How the Great Depression changed the way we make bread.
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Pilot Light thanks Vince for being a part of our team! Be sure to check out Bank of America’s “That Made All the Difference” podcast to learn more about Vince by clicking here.