After receiving her bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Chicago she decided to pursue her passion for food and received her AAS in Culinary Arts from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. She trained at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Chicago as well as with A la Baker catering company. Before launching Urban Chef, Chara owned Artisan Cakes, a specialty wedding cake company. Chara has been a volunteer with Recipe for Success and served as the co-president of the Houston chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, an international association for professional women in the culinary industry. She currently serves on the board of The Catastrophic Theatre.

Chef Jada Cre joined the urbanCHEF team in 2017.  After realizing her true dream was to be immersed in food, Jada left her job as an accountant to receive a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, CA. Jada's passion is helping people expand their palates by trying new ingredients. Her favorite style of cuisine is Pacific Rim which she describes as “Asian flavors and techniques mixed with the West Coast’s love of fresh produce.” However, Jada can’t forget about her Southern roots and her love for those classics as well. When she’s not teaching or cooking as a private chef, she enjoys coaching elementary and middle school kids for her sister’s step team organization.

Chef Aylin began cooking when she was 6 years old and has enjoyed it ever since! She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio and has worked at Disney Resorts in Orlando and most recently at Lazy Dog in Houston. She has always wanted to teach cooking classes and is excited to join the urbanCHEF team!

Sabra grew up learning and loving to cook in her Grandmothers kitchen. Her career began in Port Aransas at the Historic Tarpon Inn and Beulah’s Restaurants where she was immersed in Gulf Coast seafood and Island Cuisine, and fishing of course!
She moved to New Orleans to pursue an AAS degree in Culinary Arts at Delgado C.C. where she graduated with honors. This lead to an apprenticeship at Palace Cafe and helping open Smith & Wollensky Restaurant.
She relocated to Houston to help open another S&W, becoming Executive Sous Chef and learning the fine art of dry aging beef and butchering and spent 20 years with the S&W Restaurant Group.
Her other passion is volunteering with local rescues saving homeless animals from the streets of Houston.

I was born in Bogotá, Colombia where I lived and began studying Civil Engineering, until I decided to follow my dream to become a Chef. I moved to Boston Massachusetts  where I graduated  from Newbury College with a degree on Culinary Arts.

 I  worked as a Pastry Chef in a French Restaurant, Swiss Hotel and International  banquet houses that allowed me to broaden my horizons and prepared me for my next adventure.

In 1997 I moved to Houston, Texas  opening a French bakery, “More than Cakes,” specializing in wedding cakes and pastries for special events. After 16 years of working in the art and creativity of specialty cakes, I sold the business and embarked on a new chapter. Traveling to London and France looking for new learning experiences and new paths, where I taught classes and shared my knowledge.

 In Houston I have been given the opportunity to work as a Chef Instructor at Urban Chef teaching  summer camps, private parties and corporate events, teaching International cuisine.  Urban Chef has allowed me to teach virtually while I travel.

Currently I am living in Bogota Colombia, where I have been doing catering, organizing events, restaurant consulting and teaching cooking as well.

In January 2024, graduated as a Health Coach from IIN, Institute for Integrative Nutrition. This has allowed me to combine my knowledge as a Chef which objective is to stimulate interest in healthy, sustainable food and its preparation.

It is a way of cooking that respects both the environment and people's health.

To use food as the central axis to nourish and heal our body.

Meet Chef Anthony Lane, a passionate culinary talent hailing from the vibrant city of New Orleans. With a deep-rooted love for Cajun and Creole flavors, Anthony's cooking emphasizes bold tastes and the power of food to bring people together. In 2015, after graduating from Louisiana State University (LSU) with degrees in History, English, and Human Resources, he moved to Houston to work for Camp Ozark working with college students and 6th-12th graders. This is where he launched his award-winning luxury wedding cake studio, and hospitality group Lane & Simple. He also served as the pastry chef for popular heights restaurant Alice Blue. By leveraging social media to showcase his stunning creations, he quickly built a strong following and reputation in the culinary world. By 2019, Anthony cemented his status as a chef, competing and winning against top local chefs in the Houston area. His exceptional skills and nack for people/ hospitality caught the eye of Food & Beverage Magazine a publication that holds 14 million monthly readers, which featured him as a rising star on the cover of their April 2021 issue (A spot typically held for celebrity influenced or started food and beverage brands.) At urbanCHEF, Chef Anthony is eager to share his culinary expertise and inspire aspiring young and adult chefs and home cooks. Join him for engaging classes that promise to empower your inner chef and enhance your culinary journey. Anthony is also the director of youth and mission at City Church Houston.

Aurelius joined the urbanCHEF team when we first moved to Greenway Plaza in 2012. He has worked in the culinary industry for more than 20 years with experience in hotels, casual restaurants and fine dining. Outside of the culinary world his work has ranged from landscaping to construction. He was born in France and has lived throughout the United States.

Beth is a psychology major at UHCL, class of 2026. She grew up influenced by German foods at home and having a sous-chef for a neighbor who taught her to cook. She enjoys video games and singing and is a volunteer for Court Appointed Special Advocates giving support to abused or neglected children.

Emily is from Corpus Christi and has worked in the pizza industry for over 13 years. She loves baking, reading, biking and crafts.