Who is Ma Michele?
An entrepreneur. A master chef. An innovator. A community advocate. The producer & creator of The Culture Mix Experiment.
Michele Wilson has been infusing color and flavor into countless lives - one soulful culinary creation at a time.
A life-changing choice
When Michele Wilson was 50 years old, she made what some would consider a drastic decision. And it changed her life for the better.
“I left Corporate America in 2010, and I never looked back. I didn’t want to die in a cubicle. I wanted to pursue my passion and turn it into purpose."
Having always harbored a love of cooking and food, Michele went to culinary school.
“I've had a passion for cooking ever since I was a kid and my love for community is just as important. I’ve come to believe that food is a vehicle to use to connect with the community.”
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She opened Ma Michele’s Cafe and quickly became a soul food staple in the Midlothian-Richmond area. Michele’s story circulated and began to make headlines for more reasons than her five-star catfish dinners.
"Food is a vehicle to connect with the community."
-Michele Wilson
“I shared with others who were micro-business or small business owners. I was asked to speak at certain venues and events. I guess people thought it was interesting how I was an older person who threw away corporate America to pursue this and I sustained myself.”
Through all of this, Michele found that she had another calling blossoming.
“Believe it or not, probably more important than cooking. And cooking is very important to me – it's an extension of love and family."
"But I noticed that people out here needed direction and needed to sit up under somebody and learn and figure out what their purpose was. So I became a mentor.”
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Michele built her mentoring program off the foundation of Ma Michele's Cafe.
Hosting up-and-coming chefs at pop-up events and taking them under her wing, she continues to influence the future of food-makers, giving them opportunities to learn, try, fail, succeed and grow.
A flavorful phenomenon: Culture Mix Experiment
Michele began The Culture Mix Experiment, a TV show where food, fun and culture mix. The show has been a way for Michele to spotlight different chefs with much-deserved air time, support the community and put minority chefs at the forefront.
“I have a lot of ideas and I'm a go-getter. When you surround yourself with people who are imaginative and tenacious, it brings out the best. I love doing Culture Mix. People learn something new each episode to bring into their own kitchens."
Culture Mix Experiment is on Taste on TV and the Roku Channel.
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"Opening my café and starting my brand has been a combination of magic, sweat, tears, mishaps, and successes daily but it’s never been a mistake. It's realizing a dream and committing to my passion."