Heather Hodge grew up in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York with a passion for cooking outdoors and eating all things, but especially dessert. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America with a degree in baking and pastry arts, she experienced many facets of the food and beverage industry from fine dining service to working as a private chef. Upon moving to Seattle, she began work as an ice cream maker at Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream before eventually becoming the Culinary Director. Heather has focused her career on improving benefits and compensation standards for back-of-house employees. Now, Heather is the co-founder of The Pastry Project, where she trains and mentors individuals with barriers to employment seeking a profession in the baking industry, all while going through the ups and downs of running a successful small business.