Beyond Borders: The Road That Built Me

There’s a version of my story that looks clean on paper...two degrees, a 20-year career across agriculture, energy, and global markets, leadership roles, international business development, and now building a company at the intersection of food, culture, and strategy.

...BUT THAT VERSION LEAVES OUT THE PART THAT ACTUALLY MATTERS.

I didn’t arrive here in a straight line. I built this life under pressure. I started as an athlete (disciplined, focused, competitive). That mindset never left me, but life had a way of raising the stakes early. I became a young single mother while still in college, with my family two states away and no safety net to fall back on.

There was no pause button.

I made the decision to stay in Texas, finish what I started, and build something stable...not just for me, but for my son. During that time, I worked at the farm shop at Tarleton State University for $8 an hour, managing a cow-calf herd while carrying a full academic load earning a spot on the Deans list and carrying a 4.0. My days started early, ended late, and most nights didn’t really end at all. Studying until two or three in the morning, then waking up to do it again.

There was nothing glamorous about it. However, there was clarity: I wasn’t going to quit. That season built something in me that no job title ever could...resilience, ownership, and the ability to operate under pressure without losing focus on the long game. Over the next two decades, I carried that mindset into every role I took on. I built a career in oil and gas, where I became one of the top-performing sales professionals across multiple companies. It was fast-paced, competitive, and demanding. I thrived in it...but success in one lane doesn’t mean you’re in the right lane forever.

That realization led me to Austin, where I stepped into an international marketing role with the Texas Department of Agriculture. It was an opportunity to work at the intersection of policy, global trade, and food systems. It also came with a new set of challenges—navigating government structures, elected leadership, and the complexities that come with both. From there, I took what I believed was my next big step, joining the World Food Championships as their International Business Development Director. I had the chance to build something meaningful: an agriculture education and outreach program within a global culinary platform. It was exactly where my experience and passion met...and then it ended.

Economic conditions shifted, and just like that, the role was gone. That moment could have been a setback. Instead, it became a turning point. I co-founded a company and spent eight months building it from the ground up...strategy, partnerships, vision. When that partnership ultimately fell apart, I was left with a decision: walk away or take full ownership.

So...I bet on myself.

I rebranded, rebuilt, and stepped fully into what is now the Global Culinary Project. Along the way, I found a partner in Chef Saeed Alheraki, someone who shares the vision of using food as a bridge between cultures, industries, and opportunities. This company wasn’t created in a moment of inspiration, It was built on years of pressure, pivots, setbacks, and hard-earned experience.

And more importantly—it was built on belief. Not blind belief. Not motivational-quote belief. The kind of belief that comes from doing hard things over and over again until you realize you can. Today, everything I’ve done (every early morning, every risk, every challenge) has led to this point. A place where I’m not just building a business, but building something with purpose. Something that excites me to get out of bed and grind.

The Global Culinary Project exists to connect food, culture, and strategy in a way that drives real impact across industries, across borders, and across communities. But at its core, it’s also a reflection of something simpler: What’s possible when you stop waiting for the right moment, and start building anyway.

IF THERE'S ONE THING I'VE LEARNED, IT'S THIS:

You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward. You just have to be willing to take the next step, and then the next one after that. Because the path doesn’t appear all at once. It builds as you walk it.

If you’re building something (an idea, a company, a new direction) keep going. When you’re ready to take it further, we’ll be here to help you do it!