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Melanie Underwood

Founder, CEO

"Cooking breaks down barriers and brings us together. I’ve seen firsthand how learning to cook and bake not only connects people with themselves but also fosters community, builds confidence, and creates lasting bonds with friends and family. At Gather, we strive to create a culture of belonging."

Passionate and engaging, Melanie Underwood is dedicated to helping others cultivate confidence, creativity, curiosity, calm, and connection in the kitchen. With 29 years of experience as a culinary educator and a certified mindfulness instructor,  she has taught thousands of students—helping home cooks and professionals alike approach food with confidence, creativity, and mindfulness. She bridges the gap between food and connection—not just through cooking, but through mindfulness and intentional gathering.
Her love for food and gathering began on her family farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, where nightly meals were more than just eating—they were moments of storytelling, laughter, and belonging. Taught to bake by intuition from her grandmother and to appreciate food’s deeper meaning from her grandfather, Melanie’s career has been shaped by this foundation: food as a vehicle for community, care, and conversation.
She began her professional journey working in bakeries before apprenticing in Washington, D.C., and later moving to New York City, where she opened The Four Seasons Hotel and worked in renowned restaurants like The Plaza Hotel and Torre di Pisa. In 1996, she transitioned to teaching, spending over two decades at The Institute of Culinary Education, sharing her expertise with both professional and recreational students.

Her expertise has made her a sought-after voice in the food industry, with appearances on TV Food Network, ABC, NBC, and CNN, and collaborations with brands like Rodale Books, Microsoft, Ziploc, and Planter’s Peanuts. She is the author of Making Artisan Cheesecake, an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Cookbooks, and has contributed to multiple culinary publications, including Peeps-A-Licious and Art & Cook.
Through her brand, Gather, Melanie continues to redefine the way people connect around food. She offers cooking classes and products like her Conversation Napkins, designed to bring back the lost art of meaningful dialogue at the table. Her work merges culinary education with mindfulness, encouraging people to engage all their senses in the kitchen, slow down, and be fully present with their food and the people around them.
At her core, Melanie believes that food is a language of care, gathering is an act of love, and the table is where people return to themselves and to each other. Whether through cooking, conversation, or simply gathering at the table, she is dedicated to helping people reconnect in a way that feels nourishing, intentional, and lasting.

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