About Us
Nalini Mehta
Lured by the enticing aromas, colors, and bustle of a busy Indian kitchen, as a child, Nalini would often be found perched at the kitchen counter by her mother, enjoying the cook's delightful treats. Growing up, cooks from various backgrounds shaped and influenced her understanding of Regional Indian cuisines as she moved from one city to another. The aromas of freshly baked baguette that wafted from the bakery below their apartment in Paris, and the eclectic nouvelle cuisines of New York fanned her passion and furthered her belief in food.
Her interest turned into her vocation, and for over ten years now she has been associated with the food industry as a caterer for private events and gourmet food stores in New York, cook in the kitchens of Candle Cafe and Hampton Chutney, and an Instructor at the Natural Gourmet school, followed by Whole Foods Culinary Center, Institute of Culinary Education and NY Open Center. She has been a speaker at a range of institutions including San FranciscoAsian Art Museum, Rubin Museum of Art, Princeton University, Baruch College and the United Nations.
A vegetarian herself, complemented by her belief in Ayurveda and Ayurvedic cooking, Nalini views food and the cooking process as a means to nurturing the soul - an experience for the mind, body, and soul.
Nalini is also a recent recipient of the James Beard Foundation Women In Culinary Leadership Grant program.
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Anita Balakrishnan
Founder of Talent Evolve, Anita Balakrishnan, is a talent management and leadership development expert with over 20 years of corporate and consulting experience across world-class companies in the US, Europe and Asia. As she progressed in her career to a senior executive working for world class companies such as Novartis, Deloitte, American Express & HP, focusing on Talent & Culture, she realized that “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” and having an environment where talent thrives is the key to business success.
Talent Evolve, specializes in the development of business and people strategies from acquiring the right talent to building an optimal culture including processes & metrics, to developing talent so they can progress their careers, succession planning, workforce planning, learning strategies, individual and executive coaching.
Her clients range from small start-ups to mid-size and large, international organizations.
Anita has a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature & Psychology from Mumbai University and a Master's Degree in HR/Organizational Development from the London School of Economics.
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