TED Conference

Over the past 4.5 years at TED Conferences, I’ve been quietly exploring one question:

How do we design food experiences that spark deeper human connection?

I’ve had the privilege of leading the transformation of a single café space into an evolving series of immersive hospitality experiences, designed to spark connection.

What started as five bustling, daily rotating pop-up restaurants…
gradually became something softer—
a lounge where people could pause, gather, and share ideas.

As an entrepreneur, I’m drawn to environments that spark curiosity and push creative thinking.
This role gave me the space to experiment— using food and beverage not just as service, but to shape how people feel.

From concept to execution, I worked alongside an incredible group of restaurant partners, collaborating with them and helping to bring their culinary stories to life in ways that felt intentional, cohesive, and alive.

Over time, this grew into designing and directing an itinerary of intimate culinary and cocktail experiences in a lounge space for our top supporters.

A space designed for curiosity.
For conversation.
For connection.

Behind it all were months of planning, constant pivots, and hundreds of small decisions, made alongside an incredible staff team that shows up for each other with creativity, precision, and heart.
Being part of that process has been quietly humbling.

I leave each conference exhausted, but reminded that the smallest details can create the most lasting impact.

I reflect on lessons learned through hospitality in early days of growing up in a restaurant, to managing service across community kitchens, food festivals, intimate lounges, and large-scale conferences.
Different service styles. Different audiences, but always the same intention.

Because at its core, hospitality isn’t about scale.
It’s about making people feel seen.

As Will Guidara writes:
“Unreasonable hospitality isn’t about extravagance; it’s about intention… transforming a service transaction into a lasting memory.”

Grateful to keep learning—
and to keep collaborating with creatives in building spaces where food becomes a bridge for connection.