Rhadia Hursey’s passion for cooking began at a young age in Champaign, Illinois. She learned everything about cooking from her village (grandmother, aunts, and neighbors). When she moved to California after her mother joined the Navy, she craved the food her grandmother would make and started cooking for her mom and siblings. Rhadia has lived in California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Washington, DC, and has traveled extensively across the US, the Caribbean, and Europe. All of these places have shaped her culinary identity.

In 2013, Rhadia relocated to New York City, where she worked as a chef for various events, such as the New York City Wine & Food Festival. Rhadia has worked in healthcare as a chef for Archcare and Mt. Sinai Hospital and has worked as a chef consultant for Center Light Healthcare. She also worked as a private chef for ultra-high-net-worth families in NYC & the Hamptons.

Rhadia has earned degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park, and The Center for Culinary Education at Chattahoochee Technical College.