Divya Gugnani

Expert Interview: Divya Gugnani

Behind the Founder and CEO

When and where did your career in food begin?
It began at age 5 when I began making my own snack and sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly was my favorite).

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
My Cuisinart— I use it for everything!

If I'm trying to watch my weight, what do you recommend?
I recommend drinking lots of water, eating every few hours and
watching your portions.

What were your favorite foods growing up?
Peanut butter anything, spaghetti & meatballs.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Cardamom. You can put a pinch in your tea, infuse it in sauces or even bake with it.

What is your least favorite food?
Raw tomatoes. For some reason I just don't like the texture.

What is your beverage of choice?
A good Riesling or Amarone, depending on the weather.

What is your best tip, trick or technique for the home cook?
Use recipes as a guide, but if you cook with creativity and heart your food will always be fabulous!

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User Comments

Good Evening Divya,
My husband is in the process of applying for Culinary School. He is very interest in cooking AND opening his own restaurant. I was wondering if you had any suggestions as to what would be the best way of accomplishing such a goal?
Thank you in advance,
Ann

posted Nov 2 2010 6:27 PM by anndonroye

Hi Ann,
That's great your husband is interested in culinary school-- it's definitely a worthwhile adventure and there are lots of choices for him across the country. Culinary school will teach him the basics, but working in a restaurant will give him the experience he needs to open his own place, so if he hasn't already, I would recommend trying to get some experience in a restaurant kitchen to learn the ropes!
Best of luck,
D

posted Nov 4 2010 10:08 AM by dgugnani1

Good Evening Ms. Gugnani,

I am currently a college student attending The New York City College of Technology (CUNY) where I major in Hospitality Management focused in Culinary Arts. I am interested in both fields and have been looking for an internship for about a year now. I hope to find an internship that can lead into a full-time position while attending graduate school. I was wondering if BehindtheBurner offered any kind of internships.

I appreciate your time.

Thank you,
Rebecca Zammit

posted Jan 21 2011 5:11 PM by RebeccaZammit

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Expert Profile

Divya Gugnani acquired a taste for her future in culinary arts while building a career in finance. In addition to a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, Divya holds a degree from the French Culinary Institute, where she discovered her inner chef. Divya started her business career at Goldman Sachs and then moved on to Investcorp International and Millennium Technology Ventures. Most recently, as a venture capitalist and Principal at FirstMark Capital, Divya provided companies with strategic and operational guidance to achieve their visions. Additionally, Divya has catered numerous events and worked in several restaurant kitchens while managing her corporate boardroom responsibilities. With the creation of Behind the Burner, Divya blends her long-time passion for culinary arts with her expertise in business ventures.

Divya currently advises several startups and established brands with board level roles. She appears on MSNBC: Your Business, NBC Weekend Today and NBC New York Nonstop. She has also been a guest on FOX & FRIENDS and has been featured in BusinessWeek, TIME Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Deal, Crains, Hi!Blitz, Khabar, Eat.Drink.Better, The Nest Magazine and Woman's World, among several other publications.

Divya contributes to The Huffington Post, TODAYshow.com, Daily Beast, MSN's Glo, PageDaily and is the author of the upcoming book Sexy Women Eat: Secrets to Eating What You Want and Still Looking Fabulous, a no-nonsense guide to staying slim and and for women who live to eat. She is the Founder and CEO of the newly launched e-commerce fashion site, Send the Trend as well as online lifestyle media property What Not To Do 101.

Divya was honored as a 2010 Game Changer by The New York Enterprise Report and will be receiving an award as one of the Top 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in business. Additionally, Divya is on the Board of Directors for New York Entrepreneur Week, a non-profit movement formed around a single belief: entrepreneurs change the world.