Contributor

Chef Franco Lania

Master Chef, Motivational Speaker and International Blogger

Franco Lania is a Master Chef with a mission: to lead people to the stove to receive a warm embrace.” He believes food is the passport that brings people together, especially those from different cultures. With an inimitable “joie de vivre” that comes from truly loving what he does and caring about others. Franco uses food, his education and his diverse life experiences to help everyday folks connect more closely to the rest of the world. Franco is a disciplined, classically-trained chef. He was a sociology major in college, but he changed his course of study to become a chef. He achieved the esteemed Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu in London and a Master Chef Certification from the Italian Culinary Institute in Castigliole d’ Asti, Italy. He has worked for numerous 5-star hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants in various cities (New York, London, Milan, Miami, and Los Angeles) and aboard luxury cruise lines in a career spanning over 20 years. Chef Franco is a 9/11 survivor and from that day forward he changed his career focus to help people get their lives back on track by enlivening them via the invigorating energy of cooking. The chef gives inspirational lectures and cooking demonstrations on this topic in and out of the United States. He often appears as a guest celebrity chef and inspirational speaker on transatlantic voyages for various cruise lines. Franco is a chef partner/creator of I-Chef, LLC, where he organizes events for various food-related brands. He, also, creates, develops and tests recipes for cookbooks, blogs and grand-scale production. The chef is the creator of his own WILDY popular new product called Minnesota Wild Rice Griddle Cakes and is the brand’s ambassador. Chef Franco was twice on the winning team for TV Food Network’s 24-Hour Restaurant Battle. Franco looks at food from a spiritual and intellectual point of view, which gives him a distinct perspective. He has acquired a true appreciation for food customs and cultures. Mr. Lania is a seeker of knowledge and a culinary expert who is diligently working on his first book.