Join us for our Summer virtual #HatcheryNetworking event. Our monthly Hatchery Networking events are a wonderful way to meet entrepreneurs and other members of our community and dig into the big topics impacting the food and beverage industry. This month we’re exploring the vast baking and pastry industry!
About the panel:
Ellen King, Director of Baking Operations & Co-owner, Hewn Bread
Ellen King is the co-owner and Director of Baking Operations at Hewn. She is a classically trained chef and worked in various restaurants in Seattle with a specialty in French, Mediterranean and Vegetarian foods. She also served as the artisan cheese buyer for Whole Foods in Bellevue, WA. Ellen spent time at Quillisascut Farm School, a sustainable farm school in Rice, WA, where she first learned to bake bread in a wood fired oven. Ellen attended the Seattle Culinary Academy where she was awarded the Les Dames d’Escoffier 2003 scholarship. She holds an MA in American History from the University of Maine, and a BA in History from St. Norbert College. She was chair of the Evanston Backyard Chicken Committee, served on the Evanston Environment Board and is a member of Chefs Collaborative, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs and the Bread Bakers Guild of America. Ellen oversees all of the Back of House and baking operations at Hewn. Ellen’s first book, Heritage Baking, was published by Chronicle Books in 2018.
Genie Kwon and Tim Flores, Founders and Chefs of Kasama
Kasama is a bakery and modern Filipino restaurant from chefs Genie Kwon and Timothy Flores located in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago. Kwon sharpened her pastry skills, going on to work at a handful of esteemed outposts in Boston and New York before making her home in the Windy City. And while she excelled in each of her positions, the aspiration to helm an establishment of her own design only grew. Kwon found a kindred spirit in the similarly driven Flores, a born-and-bred Chicagoan who hails from a tight-knit Filipino family.
Sol Solis and Anna Hagopian, Founders of Mera Bites
Founded in 2015, Mera Bites is run by Anna Hagopian and Sol Solis, two women who share a passion for healthy eating and fit lifestyles, which compelled them to create a sweet snack that they could enjoy. They offer Chocolate Chip & Coconut, Vegan Double Chocolate Brownie, a seasonal Paleo Pumpkin Spice, and their new No Sugar-Sugar Cookie flavors. Anna and Sol are working hard to build a clean-food company with a focus on nutrition and wellness. Mera Bites can be found in many locations around Chicagoland and neighboring states, and have immediate plans to expand into new markets.
Danielle Tubbs, Founder & CEO, Tubby’s Taste
