We had the good fortune of connecting with Wheeler del Torro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wheeler, what inspires you?
Connecting people over food is what drives my work. I love bringing strangers together for an event and seeing their transformation from social anxiety and awkwardness at the beginning to the huge smiles and hugs they exchange at the end.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a nutritional anthropologist, which is not the most common career trajectory. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer, so she was less than thrilled when I studied anthropology in uni. I was already a chef – I moved to Paris between high school and uni and hosted pop-up restaurants as a way to earn money. So when I returned to the States for college, I found a way to fuse my love of people with my love of food through nutritional anthropology. I love learning about, and then sharing, how people relate to food on a personal, relational, and cultural level. I genuinely believe that much of the tension we face in today’s world is due to not knowing our neighbors. It’s fear based. So with every pop-up I host, I seek to connect people on a personal level. What better way is there to do this than through food?

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Do you want my hometown or ATL? Have both options below.

Saint-Tropez: I’d take them to Nikki Beach then out for food and drinks at Shellona.

Atlanta: We’d stop by Chattahoochee Food Works for a light lunch before trying to catch a Trap Sushi pop-up for dinner.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Jonah Berger. His book “Contagious: How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age” changed the way I operate my business.

Website: www.wheelerdeltorro.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/wdeltorro

Linkedin: hattps://www.linkedin.com/in/wheelerdeltorro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheeler.deltorro

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