rooted in the kitchen
Some people find their way to food through restaurants or cookbooks; I found mine through my mama and my Yiayia, in a Cypriot kitchen that was built on love. Growing up, cooking was how we said I love you. It was how we gathered, how we celebrated, how we grieved. That early understanding — that food is connection, that it carries culture and memory and meaning — became the lens through which I see everything, including branding.
After earning my marketing degree from Elon University, I moved to Napa Valley, California, and enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America's Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program — one of the most intensive culinary programs in the country. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. During my time at the CIA, I served as interim sous chef for a term, took first place in a food and wine pairing competition in St. Helena, and was chosen by my peers to give our cohort speech at graduation.
Since then, I've earned my WSET Level 1 and Level 2 Wine Certificates, work at Vitis House (Raleigh's premiere wine school), and travel the world writing restaurant reviews. I've built a life that lives at the intersection of food, wine, and words — and Rhíza is where all of it comes together.
Though I work with all kinds of brands and creators (luxury gyms, spiritual life coaches, and more), my bread and butter is storytelling for food and wine entrepreneurs who want content that's credible, beautiful, and built to last.
how we work
Every decision — creative, strategic, visual — starts with your story. Not trends. Not templates. You.
We don't rush to the aesthetic before the foundation is solid. Strategy and voice come first, then everything grows from there.
Viral moments are fun. But we're building something with staying power — a brand that still feels right two, five, ten years from now.