Founder, Chef, Dietitian

Celeste founded Camellia Culinary Consultation in 2022. A registered dietitian and chef, she started Camellia Culinary to bridge the gap between these two food worlds.

Celeste received her BS in nutritional sciences from the University of Connecticut, studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales, and completed her dietetic training and MPH in nutrition at UNC Chapel Hill. She has a background in farming and early childhood education and speaks English and Spanish.

Co-Owner, Chef

Lisa received her BS in public health from Appalachian State University and her MPH in nutrition from UNC. Her main interests are in decolonization work and using design thinking to create innovative solutions to the challenges faced by marginalized communities. Lisa's goal is to assure BIPOCs living in the United States that their cultural foods are just as rich in nutrition as they are in flavor. She speaks English and Vietnamese, and her favorite food is a Vietnamese dish called Hủ Tiếu!

Co-Owner, Baker

Hannah received her BS from Virginia Tech and her MPH in Nutrition from UNC. She continued at UNC and is currently a doctoral student in nutritional biochemistry. Her research centers around cancer immunology. Hannah loves the science of baking and finds fulfillment in sharing her baked goods with others. Her favorite food is Shakshouka!

Personal Chef

Elizabeth received her bachelor’s in food science from NC State University and her master’s of public health in nutrition from UNC Chapel Hill. She is interested in finding methods to utilize food and medicine to prevent and cure illness. She is a major foodie and loves to spend time with her dog, Lincoln. She speaks English and Korean, and her favorite foods are noodles and ice cream.

Personal Chef

Aidan received their B.S. in Journalism from Appalachian State University, and is currently in the MPH program at UNC. Their main interests focus on improving food access and redesigning the food system to center marginalized communities. Aidan enjoys baking for their partner and friends, cooking food from local producers, and eating! Their favorite food is bread.

Personal Chef

Xia Meng has a BS and MS in Biology, but her love for cooking comes from a much more personal place, her mom. Growing up with an amazing home cook in the family sparked her interest in the kitchen. Over the years, she’s come to really appreciates the importance of food as medicine and how healthy meals can provide life force energy, to help you feel your best in your body. Her favorite dish is Mapo tofu. With its soft textures and spicy flavors balanced with rice, it’s the ultimate comfort food!

Jovy has a BA in English and Technical Writing from UNC Charlotte and a MS in Technical Communications from NC State University. Though no longer involved in the software world, he is a full time personal trainer/powerlifting coach and part-time chef. Jovy’s love of cooking stems from watching his parents cooking dinner and finding ways to make healthy food flavorful and enjoyable to balance active lifestyles. He believes that food does not need to be bland to be healthy and that we can find alternatives to reach our goals. Jovy speaks English and Khmer, and his favorite food consists of chicken wings, Kathiew, a Cambodian beef rice noodle soup, and anything on the grill!

Kayla is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian from North Carolina who earned her BS from NC State University and her Master of Science in Nutrition from Meredith College. She loves sharing her passion for food and nutrition with others and teaching that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring— meals can be both nutritious and delicious! While she doesn’t have one single favorite dish to cook, Kayla loves experimenting with new recipes and especially enjoys baking. Her favorite foods are beans (they’re so versatile!) and any baked good with chocolate!

Taylor earned her Bachelor's in Biology and Psychology from UNCW, her Master's in Nutrition from NCSU, and currently works in community public health education. She's passionate about food justice, and loves helping others harness their own story, food preferences, and culture to feel confident in making choices that best serve their health and happiness. When not in the kitchen, you can probably find her out and about sharing a meal with friends and family, traveling, watching a movie with her cat Chicken, or reading. Taylor loves trying and falling in love with new cuisines, but her all time favorite thing is a croissant. For a favorite dish to cook/eat, she really do not have a consistent one though she does love pasta and Persian/Mexican food.