Story by Greater Twin Cities United Way. Amalia Moreno-Damgaard drew upon her experiences of growing up in Guatemala to write her first cookbook, Amalia’s Guatemalan Kitchen-Gourmet Cuisine With A Cultural Flair, which won five first prize national awards in 2013. Residing in America for the last 32 years, Amalia has had many diverse experiences. She had a successful career as an international banking executive, earned a master’s degree in international business, graduated from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, started her own business and cofounded and presided over Women Entrepreneurs of Minnesota—a group that fosters women entrepreneurship. She also serves on four boards and donates her time and skills to worthy causes in the U.S. and Guatemala. She calls America the “land of definite opportunity” and eagerly wants to give back to the Twin Cities.
In 2010, Amalia joined Women’s Leadership Council—a group passionate about quality early childhood education. She attended school as a child in Guatemala where the literacy rate is 82%. Amalia received her post-secondary education in the United States. She was surprised when she learned that half of American children enter kindergarten unprepared. “Education is a ticket to a better life,” she said. “I was astonished that in a highly developed country like America some children lacked access to resources. Education played a key part in my success and I felt drawn to Women’s Leadership Council’s commitment to ensuring our community’s children succeed.”
Amalia also enjoys connecting with other top business women from across the Twin Cities at Women’s Leadership Council events. She explains, “Networking is my livelihood as an author, professional chef and entrepreneur. The women I meet are very entrepreneurial and deeply care about giving back to our local area.”
Amalia (AmaliaLLC.com) specializes in healthy Latin gourmet cuisine and culture and uses food as a platform to educate others about cultural synergies in Latin America. She will be hosting the Women’s Giving Kick-off on February 4, 2014 from her culinary hub at the Midtown Global Market—a small business incubator that has created local jobs and an opportunity for entrepreneurs to achieve the “American Dream.”
Please save the date for the next Women’s Giving Event:
Women’s Giving Winter Pairings, February 4—Learn how pairings, mentoring and sponsoring can enhance your leadership in the community while enjoying pairings of Latin food and drinks. RSVP now! Space is limited.