The People Building Culinary Oasis
Over the past week I’ve been sharing the early chapters of a new venture I’m building called Culinary Oasis.
At its core, the idea is simple:
Create a collection of extraordinary destinations around the world where beautiful places, exceptional food, and unforgettable experiences come together.
But visions like this are never built by one person.
They’re built by great teams.
So today I want to introduce you to the people helping bring this idea to life.
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Valerie Mendoza
Many of you already know Val from the stories I’ve shared about Hamakua Hotel over the past several years.
Val has been our General Manager and operational quarterback in Hawaii, and quite honestly the hotel simply would not run the way it does without her.
Hospitality is a business where the small details matter enormously.
The way guests are welcomed. The way problems are solved. The way experiences are orchestrated behind the scenes. Val has an incredible instinct for those details.
She cares deeply about the guest experience and has helped turn Hamakua into the kind of place people feel cared for at the highest level.
As Culinary Oasis expands, Val will play a key role helping us maintain the hospitality standards and operational discipline that great properties require.
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Lori Lochtefeld
Then of course there is Lori, my wife and constant partner in adventure.
Many of you have followed along with us over the last couple of years as we’ve explored the world together, including our recent two months living in Paris attending École Ducasse culinary school.
Those experiences weren’t just fun travel. They were part of a deeper exploration of food, culture, and hospitality, which is exactly what Culinary Oasis is built around.
Lori brings a decade plus of marketing knowledge to the team. She will get the word out and fill our beds. She is a wizard on all the booking engines and is an early adopter of AI marketing tools that are proving extremely valuable.
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Chef Edward Delling-Williams
Edward is truly the culinary engine behind Culinary Oasis.
Originally from England, Edward trained in Michelin-star kitchens before building a remarkable career across London and Paris.
He co-founded the celebrated Paris restaurant Le Grand Bain, launched the artisan bakery Le Petit Grain, and later opened Le Presbytère in Normandy, which quickly earned the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction.
Edward’s work has even reached international television audiences, earning him a Daytime Emmy nomination.
Two years ago Edward joined me as Chef Owner at Hamakua Hotel, and since then he has quietly been doing something very special there.
Guests who visit the property often tell us they’ve just had the best meal they experienced anywhere in Hawaii.
Chef Edward has a rare gift for making meals feel deeply connected to place, season, and story.
When Edward designs a menu, he isn’t simply cooking dinner. He’s creating an experience. That philosophy is exactly what sits at the heart of Culinary Oasis.
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Rob Emens
Finally, my partner Rob Emens.
Rob is a Certified Financial Planner with a Master’s in Taxation and decades of experience advising entrepreneurs, executives, and families on how to build and preserve wealth.
Where I tend to see the world through the lens of entrepreneurship and opportunity, Rob sees it through the lens of structure, discipline, and financial clarity.
Every big idea needs someone making sure it is built on the right financial foundation.
Rob brings that discipline to everything we’re building.
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And Me
Many of you know parts of my entrepreneurial story already.
Over the past couple of decades I’ve founded or co-founded more than twenty companies, generating over $300 million in revenue across industries ranging from entertainment and events to media, wine, and real estate.
My real estate activities alone have now crossed $200 million in transactions.
For most of that time I’ve operated as a real estate syndicator, building individual projects one at a time. But over the past year it became clear that the next natural step was something bigger. Building a fund.
A platform capable of assembling an entire collection of remarkable properties around the world.
For me personally, this feels like graduating to the next level of the game. And I can honestly say I’ve never been more energized about a venture.
Part of that may simply be where I am physically and mentally right now. Over the last year you guys have had front row seats to my dramatic health transformation, losing weight, rebuilding strength, and rediscovering an energy level I haven’t felt in decades.
It turns out that when your body feels better, your mind starts dreaming bigger again too.
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Together this team represents a combination of:
Entrepreneurship
Investment discipline
Hospitality expertise
and Culinary artistry
The goal isn’t simply to buy hotels.
The goal is to create destinations people remember for the rest of their lives.
Places where extraordinary settings, incredible food, and meaningful moments come together.
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In my next post I’ll share more about the properties and destinations we’re pursuing around the world.
Some of them you already know.
A few might surprise you.
More soon.
