Del Grande, who earned a doctorate in biochemistry from UCR, became a chef when he moved to Houston in 1981 and joined the renowned Café Annie, where he served as executive chef and partner for nearly 30 years. He is credited as one of the pioneers of Southwestern cuisine and has earned considerable acclaim, including winning the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 1992. Del Grande was honored by UCR with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010. He retired in 2022, but remains an important figure in the culinary scene, including making an appearance as a guest judge on season 19 of “Top Chef.”

After graduating from UCR with a bachelor’s degree in theatre, Fritsche moved to San Francisco in 2005, pivoting careers to explore another lifelong passion: food. She earned a degree from the California Culinary Academy, then worked in professional kitchens before joining the San Francisco Chronicle’s James Beard Award-winning food and wine team. For over a decade, Fritsche reported on the Bay Area’s restaurant industry, adapted chef recipes for home cooks, and rubbed elbows with renowned chefs and cookbook authors, including Jacques Pépin, René Redzepi, Nigella Lawson, and Anthony Bourdain. Following her time at the San Francisco Chronicle, Fritsche freelanced as a recipe developer, editor, food stylist, and photographer for publications including Simply Recipes and The Kitchn. For the past two years, she’s served as a recipe editor for HelloFresh, one of the top meal kit companies in the U.S.

Goodwin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English at UCR, serves as marketing director and co-owner of Goodwins Organics, a family-owned, all-organic grocery store with an in-house kitchen, offering juice, smoothies, pizza, soup, and a salad bar. Goodwin works alongside his brothers and fellow UCR alumni Kaleb Goodwin, MBA ’21, who supports the team in finance and accounting; and David Goodwin ’13, who serves as store director. With locations in Riverside, Redlands, Chilcoot, and Crestline, Goodwins Organics has been serving the community for over 78 years. Goodwin also supports marketing efforts for other grocery stores as owner of the marketing agency Innovar and recently completed the Food Industry Management Program at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

During his third year at UCR, Mahmoud Hemood opened Baba’s Chicken, a downtown Riverside eatery that celebrates his love for Nashville hot chicken. Located inside the Riverside Food Lab, the Halal-certified shop serves a variety of sandwiches and tenders using free-range, humanely processed, and hormone-free chicken, along with sides including fries, fried pickles, and mac and cheese. Hemood, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, also ensured that UCR students receive a 10% discount.

After graduating from UCR with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Hoang worked in the advertising and marketing industry for nearly 10 years before deciding to follow his dreams of being a restaurateur and chef. Without prior professional culinary training, he partnered up with his brother-in-law and wife to open a Vietnamese restaurant in the Beverly Grove area of Los Angeles. As chef and owner of Pho Saigon Pearl, Hoang created a menu that pays homage to his parent’s motherland, Vietnam. Along with traditional offerings, he has created new dishes that bridge the gap between cultures, such as banh mi tacos, lomo saltado, and ribs.

Pelham, who earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences at UCR, was introduced to the world of food banking through her work with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. She then joined Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks in the United States, where she led retail industry partnerships with companies such as Amazon, Albertsons Companies, and US Foods. In 2021, she joined HelloFresh and led the meal kit company’s social impact programs through the “Meals with Meaning,” “Community Fresh Markets,” and “LimeAid” initiatives, resulting in over 20,000 pounds of food donated to over 45 nonprofit and government partnerships. Pelham recently joined Starbucks Corporation, where she serves on the food waste and food security team and navigates the company’s commitment to reducing retail and nonretail food waste by 50%, while also reinvesting $100 million into hunger relief efforts by 2030.

Karamardian, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at UCR, joined his family’s restaurant business in 1993 and now serves as CEO of Zov’s Restaurant Group. He facilitated the expansion of the original 1,200-square-foot Tustin bistro to a 14,000-square-foot establishment, encompassing a cafe, bakery, private dining rooms, and catering division. Under his leadership, new locations were opened in Irvine and Newport Beach in 2007. Karamardian also spearheaded a partnership with the UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, introducing a health-focused menu that highlights the benefits of Mediterranean cuisine. His focus on community engagement and team building has fostered a loyal customer base and solidified Zov’s as a beloved fixture in Southern California’s dining scene.

In April 2022, Maryanski was approached by her friend Luis Hernandez, a small business owner and operator, to assist in the purchase and sale of the former MTL - Mission Tobacco Lounge, one of Downtown Riverside’s oldest landmark bars. Maryanski, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCR, was assisting small businesses in the Inland Empire as an independent business consultant and working full time for the City of Riverside when she was presented the opportunity to join Killer Queens Social House as one of the managing partners. Killer Queens Social House is a diverse social scene that brings the Riverside community together for private and corporate events, social events, late night cocktails, and community networking.

Mathew, who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science, is spirits maker and co-founder at Greenbar Distillery, a Los Angeles-based distillery specializing in small-batch, organic spirits. Along with her husband Melkon Khosrovian, Mathew launched Greenbar Distillery in Monrovia, California, in 2004, later moving operations to Downtown Los Angeles. In 2008, they shifted their focus toward all-organic ingredients and a commitment to sustainability, partnering with Sustainable Harvest International to plant one tree in the Central American rainforest for every bottle sold. The “One Bottle, One Tree” initiative has resulted in more than a million new trees to date.

Read more about Mathew and Greenbar Distillery in UCR Magazine Fall 2022.

McCarthy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at UCR, had a career in fine dining for many years after college, working with chefs in San Diego as general manager of several establishments. In his current role as president of Ryno Power Sports Supplements, he oversees all operations, including formulations, marketing, sales, and logistics.

Perry, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at UCR, founded Klatch Coffee in 1993. When not running the business and managing finances, he travels around the world searching for the perfect beans, which are roasted fresh at Klatch Coffee’s Southern California roastery to ensure optimum flavor and freshness. Perry blends his engineering background with a love for great coffee, balancing science and artistry — what he calls their “Peak of Flavor” roasting style — resulting in the perfect cup. Perry also offers private training for those wanting to learn with hands-on experience. Today, Klatch is served on three continents and shipped to consumers worldwide, in addition to being offered at Klatch Coffee locations and other coffeehouses in Southern California. Klatch Coffee also has a location at LAX Airport and will be served in the new Biz Cafe at the UCR School of Business in fall.

Shatkin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from UCR, and his wife, Tracie, founded Mammoth Coffee Roasting Co. in 2016 with the philosophy of “helping humanity one roast at a time.” Portions of sales have supported causes including Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra and UCR’s Guardian Scholars Program. They launched their first brick-and-mortar cafe in Mammoth Lakes, California, in 2019 and, after selling their Los Angeles-based manufacturing business, relocated to Mammoth Lakes to focus on their cafe full time. Wanting to expand their passion for specialty-grade coffee and house-made donuts and pastries, the couple franchised the Mammoth Coffee Roasting brand in January 2024. A core component of their long-term plan is to create a community center in Mammoth Lakes to address local mental health care needs. The Shatkins have also announced a special discounted franchise fee program and an expedited evaluation process for all UCR alumni interested in building community through franchise ownership.

Read more about Shatkin in UCR Magazine Spring 2019.

Tyler, who earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music at UCR, became a vegetarian in 1980. She later became vegan, then turned to healthy, plant-based eating about 10 years ago. Following a 25-year career in educational testing, Tyler turned to cooking and started her “Gracious Vegan” website. She also started teaching remote cooking classes for Portland Community College during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tyler’s cookbook “The Plant-Based Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook” came out earlier this year from Skyhorse Publishing, which has led to guest appearances on numerous podcasts, radio programs, and TV shows.