Life Lessons at Brainfood’s Food Jobs Panel

Written by Intern Casey Brand

Last Thursday, Brainfood hosted a Food Jobs panel at our Columbia Heights site. The panel featured five diverse, inspiring professionals from the food world. Their range of passions and skills, from gardening to entrepreneurship,   demonstrated that there are many more options for careers in food than just becoming a chef! We heard from Rachel Couch, a photographer; Cullen Gilchrist, co-owner of Blind Dog Cafe, 2B Studios, and Union Kitchen; Arsha Jones, owner of Capital City Mumbo Sauce;  Kate Lee, Garden Director of DC Greens, and Amanda McClements, a food writer.

Of course, because this was a Brainfood event, there was great food in addition to great conversation. After a quick and delicious meal of enchilada casserole, homemade tortilla chips apple-broccoli salad, and oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies, students sat down to hear the panelists share about their work. Panelists discussed their backgrounds and how they became involved in the food world, showing that the path to success isn’t always straightforward.

Panelists then rotated between tables, talking to students about their experiences and answering questions such as, “What did you study in college? How did you decide to do this as a career? What’s your favorite part of your job?”

Students were especially curious about how to start a business. They asked panelists everything about the process, from finding and renting a space to marketing and selling a product! It looks like we’ve got some future entrepreneurs here at Brainfood.

The panel also sparked some great conversations about choosing a career, which is especially relevant for our graduating seniors.  Panelists assured students that they don’t need to know what they want to study in college or pursue as a profession right away. Moreover, panelists offered students this piece of advice: “You should do something that you’re passionate about.”

At the end of the day, the Food Jobs panel was interesting and inspiring for staff, students and interns. Like Brainfood, the Food Jobs panel was about more than just food – it was about taking initiative, being a leader, and contributing to the community in a meaningful and fun way.