Denise Portillo is a chef, educator, and food business strategist with more than 25 years of experience across catering, cafés, food production, operations, entrepreneurship, and culinary education. She has built and operated multiple food and wellness businesses and understands both the creative and operational side of turning an idea into a real business.

Her work focuses on helping aspiring owners make smarter decisions before they waste money, choose the wrong model, or move too quickly without a strong foundation. Through practical, real-world teaching, Denise helps students think clearly about concept fit, customers, pricing, structure, setup, and long-term sustainability.

In addition to her industry experience, she teaches culinary education and is passionate about making business knowledge more accessible, honest, and useful for people who want to build something real.