About

Hi, I’m Susie Wyshak, native Californian and avid promoter and consumer of good food and food-related experiences. Someone once told me “You always know about the things that make life worth living.”

I live passionately, creating and evangelizing good things while making people’s lives and the world a better place as a social entrepreneur. The many platforms in which I’ve been involved all focused on one thing: improving lives and businesses.

I may live to eat but I also love to live. In addition to my food concierge and consulting, I’m Epicuring - Discover the best California food events and culinary adventuresactively involved in:

  • Epicuring / California where food obsessed travelers who Live to Eat and Love to Learn discover the best hand-picked California food experiences
  • The Good Food Awards on the Chocolate Committee, and as a volunteer or media at other Bay Area food festivals
  • Inspiring people to live their dreams through SuperViva, a bucket list website and Facebook community

More about my background on LinkedIn.

I hang out at the Bay Area Hub and am a long time participant in online communities like including Couchsurfing, Instructables, Chowhound, and Yelp.

How I Got Here

My life changed in 2001 when a California farmer’s market vendor said: “You must be involved with Slow Food.” I joined; met some amazing people; went to the Salone del Gusto the following year…and since then have only expanded my life long delight and passion for delicious locally grown, locally produced foods made by hand or by small producers. (More on my food background.)

With the founding Foodzie.com team, as the Food Artisan Relations Manager (FARM!), I helped hundreds of American artisan food makers and farmers build their businesses–gathering a wealth of knowledge and connections in the process.

Chocolate is in my blood, with many chocolatier friends,  a long history in the Bay Area chocolate scene, and an MBA thesis about giving chocolate as a gift. I started the Fair Trade chocolate program, cut my teeth (or got my fillings due to) a stint at Edelweiss Chocolates in Beverly Hills, and as you see here, grew up eating marzipan from a local German chocolatier.

While based in the San Francisco Bay Area, a world of food and sustainable farming draws me across the globe. 2010 found me connecting with artisan food makers and farmer’s markets in:

  • Northern California – SF Bay Area and Davis
  • New York City and Brooklyn
  • Maine – from Portland to Downeast
  • Oregon – the Rogue Valley and Portland
  • New York City (again!) for the New Amsterdam Market and Upstate
  • Southern California for LA Food Fest and more
  • Midwest cities with vibrant food scenes: Ann Arbor, Chicago and Madison

Let’s Chat!

I’d love to hear from you, whether you have a food company, love good food, would like to partner, have a farm, are seeking unique and delicious sustainably produced food gifts, or just want to say hi!