Culinary School, Reimagined

Ryan Wagner
CEO/COO/CAO

Chef Ryan is a Certified Executive Chef (CEC) with 20 years of extensive food and beverage experience, including running restaurant kitchens, high profile event catering, and various leadership roles in culinary education. He owned and ran a successful event catering business in Los Angeles, and has played key roles in several culinary startups. Over the years Chef Ryan has made appearances on the Food Network, catered events for Hollywood celebrities, and shared his experience with thousands of students. He’s a self proclaimed “food geek”, and is responsible for many of the gastronomic learning experiments here at CulinaryLab

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Briana Bielucke
Director of Education

Chef Briana Bielucke first learned to cook from a very young age by her two matriarchal grandmothers. Her second love after her family is food in all forms. A native Southern Californian, she started working in restaurants at age 16. From Boulangerie to specialty cake shops (and everything in between), she has worked at a wide range of notable establishments and has taught Pastry Arts for the past several years. As the Dean of Education at a cooking school in Los Angeles, Chef Bri developed multiple Culinary & Pastry programs. In her free time, she enjoys growing produce in her garden and baking with her son at home.

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Tanit Parnprome
Culinary Chef Instructor

Chef Tanit’s, also known as Chef TC, adventure into culinary started on a different road but ended in the path he loves.  When he was younger he always helped his mom make dessert and pastries for the Thai Temple on the weekends but his parents originally didn’t support his interest in food.  He was always encouraged to either be a doctor, lawyer or scientist when he grew up.  So while going to college, he went through a plethora of jobs.  He was a cell phones salesman, a karate instructor and even a train conductor at Disneyland but all that changed when Chef TC got his first job working for the Patina Group.  He started as a food runner but was always interested about the culinary side of the restaurant.  He then switched sides from front of house to back of house and did amazing events with them such as the Grammy’s and U.S. Tennis Open.  From there, his passion for culinary grew and so he attended culinary school and shortly after worked for multiple high end resorts like Pelican Hill and was the private chef for the CEO/Owner of Kettle ONE Vodka.  On his off-time he wanderlust for new places to eat or stay active by playing golf, tennis, long boarding and spending time with his daughter.

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Richard Lee
Culinary Chef Instructor

Chef Richard was born to first-generation Korean-American parents. He studied economics and computer science at Rutgers University and began his career in the corporate world, but switched gears to pursue a culinary career. He apprenticed at Le Cirque in New York and then helped open Rocco’s in NYC, where the reality TV series “The Restaurant” was filmed. After Rocco’s, Chef Richard got the opportunity to work at Geisha with Michelin star chef Eric Ripert and then went on to work at Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

Chef Richard’s fondest food memories include eating fries & aioli in Belgium, and eating raw beef bibimbap with his wife in Korea

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James Caveness
Culinary Chef Instructor

Chef James’ passion for food was lit at a very young age, having come from a family that loves to cook. After finishing high school, Chef James attended Culinary School at Cerritos College then went on to complete his apprenticeship at The Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey. He eventually moved to Park City, Utah, and continued to grow as a cook. Chef James eventually moved back to California to join the kitchen at Splashes at the Surf and Sand Resort, where he worked his way up the ranks to Sous Chef. Before joining Culinary Lab, Chef James also spent time in Chef David Kinch’s Three Michelin Starred restaurant, Manresa, and Avant Restaurant at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego. Some of Chef James’ favorite techniques include pasta making and fermentation, and he’s excited to share his knowledge with our students.

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Jacqueline Martinez
Pastry Chef Instructor

Chef Jacky grew up in Santa Ana and found a love for baking at a young age. She went to the French Pastry School in Chicago and, after graduation, honed her skills at Cut by Wolfgang Puck in Las Vegas. After Cut, she returned to Orange County to help open The Resort at Pelican Hill and became the Pastry Sous Chef. Chef Jacky has appeared on the Food Network show The Challenge and has won the Golden Foodie Award for Pastry Chef in 2019. Her last position before joining CL was as Pastry Chef at The Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach. Chef Jacky joins CulinaryLab as our Pastry Chef Instructor and looks forward to mentoring and sharing her experiences with ambitious students.

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Zoe Manio Phillips
Development Director

A Southern California native, Zoe graduated from university with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. Zoe joins CulinaryLab with a passion for leadership, with over 10 years of experience working in Digital and Web Advertising where she specialized in event coordination, operations, and project management for national brands. Her love for food and travel stems from her desire to connect with others through story and community, and she believes the best memories are made when sharing a meal with others. Her favorite food-related memory is getting engaged to her husband after an intimate dinner at the French Laundry.

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Amanda Silverman
Project Manager

Amanda grew up in the beautiful Phoenician desert. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Global Business from Arizona State University and a Master’s in Management from University of Phoenix. With over 10 years of experience in academic counseling, nonprofit management, and event planning, Amanda brings her passion for food, leadership, and all things collaborative as CulinaryLab’s Project Manager. Her favorite part of the culinary experience is immersing herself in the ambiance and culture. Some of her favorite foodie memories are eating her way through France, Uruguay, Argentina, Israel, and Italy. In her downtime, you can find her with her husband and baby girl exploring parks, beaches, and trails around Orange County!

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Olivia Whitehurst
Events Manager

A lover of food, people, and travel, Olivia graduated from the University of North Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After working in the nonprofit sector, helping low-income children and families as a counselor, she decided to pursue her passion for the food and beverage industry. Olivia is a Certified Cicerone beer server and holds a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 2 certification. She has worked at breweries, vineyards, and wineries all over the nation in various capacities- starting as a cellar hand making wine, and eventually worked her way up to Events, Marketing, and Sales Director. As Event Director, she discovered her passion for bringing people together over a good meal and a glass of wine (or whatever you prefer to indulge in). Olivia has extensive experience organizing various events, from large festivals to intimate anniversary celebrations, and is ecstatic to work with you planning your next event with CulinaryLab Cooking School! Her favorite food memories are all her epicurious adventures with her husband across the country, especially tapas and wine in Key West on their honeymoon.

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Jim Sutherland
Admissions Advisor

Jim grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to California in 2001. Before joining CulinaryLab, he spent 18 years selling commercial printing and shifted into event sales with JA Henckels. Jim joins CulinaryLab as an Admissions Manager where he is eager to grow his passion for cooking while helping others fulfill their culinary school dreams. Jim’s favorite dish growing up was his Mom’s prime rib and side of cheesy potatoes. His favorite memory involving food is getting together with his family and treating them to a BBQ complete with pulled pork, brisket, smoked baked beans, and homemade coleslaw.

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James Duran
Admissions Advisor

Born and raised in East Los Angeles, James grew up surrounded by Mexican culture…, especially its delicious food! Whether it was made by his mother, grandmother, or one of the many street vendors that graced the area, home-cooked meals have a special place in his heart. Tacos, frijoles, arroz, and the Dodger games flooded his childhood memories of where he began his culinary journey as a taste tester. With time that passion grew and now James is the one creating the authentic and rich flavors of his childhood. Combining his love of food, sales, and building connections with others, James joins CulinaryLab’s Admissions team with 15 years of sales experience and is excited to help others make their dreams a reality.

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Ryan Wagner
CEO/COO/CAO

Chef Ryan is a Certified Executive Chef (CEC) with 20 years of extensive food and beverage experience, including running restaurant kitchens, high profile event catering, and various leadership roles in culinary education. He owned and ran a successful event catering business in Los Angeles, and has played key roles in several culinary startups. Over the years Chef Ryan has made appearances on the Food Network, catered events for Hollywood celebrities, and shared his experience with thousands of students. He’s a self proclaimed “food geek”, and is responsible for many of the gastronomic learning experiments here at CulinaryLab

Learn More

Briana Bielucke
Director of Education

Chef Briana Bielucke first learned to cook from a very young age by her two matriarchal grandmothers. Her second love after her family is food in all forms. A native Southern Californian, she started working in restaurants at age 16. From Boulangerie to specialty cake shops (and everything in between), she has worked at a wide range of notable establishments and has taught Pastry Arts for the past several years. As the Dean of Education at a cooking school in Los Angeles, Chef Bri developed multiple Culinary & Pastry programs. In her free time, she enjoys growing produce in her garden and baking with her son at home.

Learn More

Tanit Parnprome
Culinary Chef Instructor

Chef Tanit’s, also known as Chef TC, adventure into culinary started on a different road but ended in the path he loves.  When he was younger he always helped his mom make dessert and pastries for the Thai Temple on the weekends but his parents originally didn’t support his interest in food.  He was always encouraged to either be a doctor, lawyer or scientist when he grew up.  So while going to college, he went through a plethora of jobs.  He was a cell phones salesman, a karate instructor and even a train conductor at Disneyland but all that changed when Chef TC got his first job working for the Patina Group.  He started as a food runner but was always interested about the culinary side of the restaurant.  He then switched sides from front of house to back of house and did amazing events with them such as the Grammy’s and U.S. Tennis Open.  From there, his passion for culinary grew and so he attended culinary school and shortly after worked for multiple high end resorts like Pelican Hill and was the private chef for the CEO/Owner of Kettle ONE Vodka.  On his off-time he wanderlust for new places to eat or stay active by playing golf, tennis, long boarding and spending time with his daughter.

Learn More