In 2018 Jacob and Madi met working at one of the most renowned fine-dining vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Seattle, where they both fell in love with the art of vegan/ vegetarian cooking and the wonderful produce the Pacific Northwest has to offer. There, they gained a combined 12 years experience in the culinary world of mindful eating and learned the intricacies of many allergy based diets; with Jacob acting as the Sous Chef and Madi as the front of house lead and prep cook. Since then, their passion for cooking and sharing the values of conscious cooking has only grown. In 2022, our wonderful friends at the Synergy Yoga School approached Jacob and asked if he would be interested in catering their women’s yoga retreat at the beautiful Aldermarsh Retreat Center on Whidbey Island; he accepted the offer and there, fell in love with the art of mindful caretaking.

After the initial retreat, Jacob asked Madi to join him and act as his Sous Chef. Since then, they have served the lovely students of the Synergy Yoga School between two and three times a year, and have discovered this is their passion.

Not only do they have a passion for intentional cooking, but many other mindful practices. Jacob has his 200 hour yoga teacher certification and has spent time teaching in many yoga studios and climbing gyms across the Seattle area, as well as in his home town of Buffalo, New York. Jacob has also spent time just out of college living and working as a climbing guide and in guest administration at a resort on the island of Ko Yao Noi, Thailand; igniting his passion for helping others and learning about other cultures peoples and their practices. Jacob has a passion for all things outdoors, and lets the natural beauty of the PNW and the ingredients it has to offer, inspire his culinary work. When he is not cooking, you can find him skiing, climbing, practicing yoga, or just hanging out with our wonderful pets.

Madi is a practitioner of the arts, and has a passion for creating with mediums of all kinds. She has held several showings of her paintings, and has sold her work all across the country from Seattle, to Richmond, Virginia, where she grew up and attended VCU School of the Arts. Madi uses natural muses like her favorite mountains or the simple beauty of the human body to inspire her paintings. Creating is Madi’s most used from of mindful practice. For Madi, cooking, especially with natural/ raw ingredients, is also an art form. The ingredients, to her, are like paint, and using them while nourishing herself and others is one of her passions. Since moving to Washington, she has worked her way through most front of house positions at several renowned restaurants in the Seattle area. She currently manages the front of house and curates a drink menu at a small restaurant in Snoqualmie, WA. When she is not cooking or crafting drinks, you can find her working on her art, spinning a record from our vinyl collection, bouldering, or giving herself a tarot reading.