For a majority of individuals, a career path is embarked upon after a brief conversation with a high school guidance councilor, but for Donna her career path was more ‘buffet’ rather than ‘set dinner’; there was immersion in many different cultures through extensive travel, a 3 year stint living in the Arctic, Russian lit classes at U of T, serving jobs which gave way to cooking classes which in turn begat many stints in restaurant kitchens. It was with a sense of irony that she realized these seemingly unrelated experiences would actually be invaluable when the decision was made to start her own business in the Spring of 2003. She had the passion, the vision and the necessary life experiences. The only task left was to bake these ingredients into a cake and sell it to the world.

That and a bit of luck...

Needless to say mistakes were made, but the business grew in spite of them through a combination of perseverance and luck, and it didn’t hurt that people absolutely loved the food!

Donna was fortunate to attract some top talent who shared her vision for creating an alternative catering company. Dorothy Semko, an Event Planner with many years experience was brought in to anchor the catering side of the business, and Chef Tracy Lydster came in to lead the kitchen team.

Acceptance into the e-series of FWE was invaluable for Donna. Also through FWE, Donna received mentorship from Louise Lalonde of PWC, and then from Bev Briscoe of Briscoe Management, that continues to this day.

It could be said that Donna is a later bloomer, and though she might agree, she is also fond of saying “it’s not where you start - it’s where you finish”.

She’s not finished yet…not by a long shot!

Donna's Last Meal
Martinis and cigarettes.