We had the good fortune of connecting with Francine Huang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Francine, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Since I can remember, my passion for cooking has been an integral part of my life. As a child, I fondly recall being placed inside a makeshift kitchen, a large cardboard box filled with a bag of flour and some eggs, where I would pretend to host my own cooking show under my mom’s watchful eye.

Fast forward to college, and my enthusiasm for food led me to study the world of nutrition, immersing myself in community-based educational endeavors. Volunteering for numerous cooking classes within the community, I discovered both enjoyment and frustration. While I relished the experience, I also recognized the glaring gaps in existing programs. Many focused solely on educating but lacked the fun and engaging elements crucial for lasting impact. Seeing kids overlook the life skills I sought to instill was disheartening.

Motivated by a desire for change, a vision began to take shape: to develop a curriculum that would captivate not only children but also parents and teachers, fostering enjoyment and learning in equal measure. NERDY Cooks is just that. The goal is extended beyond education; we aspired to make this enriching life-skill accessible to every child, addressing a broader societal need.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
NERDY Cooks, our brainchild, is more than just a catchy name—it’s an acronym that encapsulates our core belief: Nourishing Exploration and Reigniting Discovery in Youth. This philosophy is at the heart of why we embarked on this business journey.

At NERDY Cooks, we view cooking as an intricate science. Our program is designed to be a food science enrichment experience, where children dive into hands-on projects, playing with ingredients to explore their flavors and potential. Our mission is simple: to infuse fun into food and science through interactive experiments and recipes.

Our aim is to get kids to be curious and encourage them to think beyond the ordinary. We believe that food is a canvas where unconventional combinations can yield surprising and delightful results. From French fries and ice cream to apple cheddar cheese pie and even peanut butter and bacon, NERDY Cooks celebrates the magic of exploring food with an open mind and adventurous spirit.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Definitely lots of food places to eat and check out! This is going to sound silly, but I thoroughly enjoy visiting all of the local pop-up farmers markets. Some of the best hidden gems can be found of these spots. Shop for ingredients, taste all the delights, and grab a bite to eat all in one go, what’s not to love? If I had to pick one, I’d say Urban Harvest Farmers Market is my favorite place to visit and meet people in Houston.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My biggest shout-out would be to my co-founding business partner, Jessi Cano. Have you ever seen the “You’re My Butter Half Mural” in Austin? She’s just that. We are literally two halves of the whole, in a business sense. When she’s up, I’m down. When she’s concerned, I’m laissez-faire. Our approaches to various situations balance themselves out, and everything always works out as it should.

Website: https://www.nerdycooks.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdycooks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdycooks/

Other: https://www.nerdyeducation.com/

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