CHRISTINA BALZEBRE

At 9 years old, Christina Balzebre knew she wanted to be a chef. “I was always interested in hospitality. I was always saying, ‘I want to be a chef, I want to run a restaurant,’” Christina reflects, adding, “I used to write up menus for family dinners, down to the detail.”

While Christina was growing up in Miami, Florida, her mother made every meal the family ate, but she also started a business when Christina was in middle school.