Tejal Thakkar

Tejal is a life-long food and hospitality enthusiast with a flair for social impact. Her interests and academic work center on how people connect and create community, how cultures are formed, and how food is central to all of this. Her passion is figuring out what it is about food that makes us feel so good. Some of the questions that keep Tejal up at night are: How can we understand each other better through food, and why is it that a conversation shared while nibbling on biscuits makes us feel so connected to the other person, even when they may be from the other side of the world? These days, she can be found in her parents kitchen in Washington, D.C. tinkering with her bread dough and reminding her family to use the compost bin.

Tejal's Favorite Condiment: Any vinaigrette! They are so versatile and can be used as dips, dressings, on bread, with veggies. I love them!

Tejal's background is in hospitality. With an early start in the industry, she completed her undergraduate degree at The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. Her interest in sustainability and social impact grew while at her first job in the travel industry, which informed her decision to do her Master's in Tourism, Environment, and Development at King's College London. While there, she focused on cultural tourism and wrote a master's dissertation entitled "Bite-Sized Culture" where she explored the role of South Asian restaurants in the experience of tourists visiting London.