Chef Cinthia is a culinary educator, chef, and creative storyteller whose work uses food as a bridge between culture, opportunity, and empowerment. Through Kitchen Without Borders and international culinary programs, she teaches professional cooking skills while mentoring students toward confidence and independence.
“I believe the kitchen can be a place of transformation — where skills are learned, confidence is built, and new possibilities begin.”
• 20+ years of culinary experience
• International culinary programs in 6+ countries
• Chef Instructor with Open Gate International
• Work featured in the Los Angeles Times
• Recipient of the U.S. Hispanic Heritage Award
My Story
Cinthia Worsey is a chef, poet, visual artist, and humanitarian educator whose work bridges culinary tradition, cultural storytelling, and social impact. Her culinary journey began in childhood, when she cooked alongside her mother and grandmother, making the kitchen a place of creativity, heritage, and connection.
She later pursued formal culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, where she developed the classical techniques that would become the foundation of her professional career. Cinthia went on to work in the kitchens of renowned chefs, including Ludo Lefebvre and Alain Giraud, gaining experience in high-level culinary environments. She later served as a private chef for legendary Hollywood director Joe Pytka and held executive leadership roles, including Executive Chef at Morry’s of Naples in Long Beach.
Beyond restaurant kitchens, Cinthia discovered her true calling as a culinary educator and mentor. As a Chef Instructor with Open Gate International, she developed innovative culinary programs designed to empower vulnerable communities. She has taught culinary arts in juvenile halls, rehabilitation programs, and community-based education initiatives, helping students build practical skills while developing confidence, discipline, and a sense of purpose.
Her initiatives include creating a global culinary curriculum, the “Passport” program, which explores world cuisines while teaching foundational cooking techniques. She also helped launch a self-sustaining restaurant initiative in Moldova, designed to provide long-term opportunities through culinary training.
For more than eight years, Cinthia has traveled internationally teaching culinary skills to survivors of human trafficking and vulnerable youth in India, Russia, Moldova, Uganda, Cambodia, and Mexico. Through food education, she helps students discover pathways toward empowerment, independence, and meaningful employment.
Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, and she is a recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Award from the United States Congress.
Beyond the kitchen, Cinthia is also a writer whose essays on food, culture, and social change have appeared on the Open Gate International blog. She is the author of a poetry collection and continues to explore the intersections of food, travel, and art through her creative work.
Cinthia believes the kitchen can be a place of transformation — where skills are learned, confidence is built, and new possibilities begin.
Chef Cinthia with MLB legend Albert Pujols, Chef Amar Santana, and culinary students during a special teaching collaboration.
Working alongside Albert Pujols & Deidre Pujols on culinary & community initiatives supporting education & mentorship.