Hello Everyone,

         My name is Kei Ohdera. I am a late addition to the catalyst course, but I am very excited and thankful for the opportunity. To tell you all a little about myself, let me begin with my upbringing. I was born in Japan just outside of Tokyo. I was mainly raised by my grandparents during these years because my parents were busy supporting us. I was born the youngest of three children. We relocated frequently in our youth for my father's or mother's careers. We spent a year in Mauritania when I was very young and moved to Iowa when I was 7. The midwest was my introduction to speaking english daily and America. A few years later we moved to Connecticut where I spent the rest of my childhood. As an interracial transplant, I never felt very much pride for either my Japanese or American heritage.

What I have always found pride in is my ability to work. I began working at a children's museum at the age of 13 making wooden toys for schools. I also taught children in their summer camp for 5 years. During high school I held three jobs. I would work at a bakery in the morning baking bread, go to school and work at a restaurant at night. I kept teaching at the children's museum on weekends and during the summer. I maintained an obsession with cooking from an early age and taught myself as much as I could in my free time.

After high school I attended Reed College for a semester before considering the costs of tuition in respect to the likelihood that I would use such a degree. I left to pursue a career as a chef. I worked in Connecticut at a farm to table restaurant before going to culinary school. While in culinary school, I realized how little it had to offer and how costly it was. I went to work in Tokyo at a restaurant considered to be one of the best in the world according to a list written by the San Pelligrino company similar to the Michelin Guide. From there, I moved to Tarrytown, NY to work at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. (Also on San Pelligrino's Top 50 list) I was exposed to the best culinary learning experience here and learned about ethical farming from my mentor Dan Barber. Given all that I stood to gain from staying on, I chose not to return to culinary school. I was introduced to many of the world renowned culinary contemporaries during my time there.

Feeling jaded with the food industry by the end of my time, I left Blue Hill to be a sous chef at a new restaurant in New Jersey opened by a friend of a friend for a year. I did my best to solve the inequality between the front and back of the house on a micro scale there, but I was unable to do so in many ways. I have moved to Portland to be closer to family and to settle down. I am exhausted by moving year to year, and I think that Portland might be the place for me.

I am currently the sous chef at Farm Spirit. It is a reservation only, tasting menu restaurant offering chef driven service and horticultural cuisine sourcing ingredients only from the Northeast.

I have decided to take the Catalyst course to help with my communication skills, develop my goals, and explore the subtleties of being a good manager. I have always felt somewhat insecure in my managing roles because of my comparatively young age in respect to my employees who are often a decade my senior.

I am at a place in my career where I feel accelerated too quickly and missed certain steps that will keep me no closer to my goals.

Sincerely,
    Kei