7. Celebrity Chef Mario Pagán Brings Puerto Rico to Winter Park
In this sizzling new episode of the B-Student Podcast, host Betsy Gardner welcomes one of the most dynamic and celebrated chefs in the Latin Caribbean culinary scene—Chef Mario Pagán. Known for his architectural approach to food, his passion for art, and his humility in leadership, Chef Mario shares the story behind his wildly imaginative path from Puerto Rico to Winter Park, Florida, where he’s shaking up the local restaurant scene with his new hit, Chayote Barrio Kitchen.
Recorded live at the Edible Education Experience, this episode goes beyond conversation and into the kitchen for a special cooking demo of his iconic Lobster Mofongo Thermidor. From his early days in culinary school to collaborating with the James Beard Foundation and opening restaurants around the world, Chef Mario brings flavor, heart, and serious insight.
Expect stories about Basquiat, the influence of women in his career, leadership lessons from the kitchen, and how food connects us to memory, culture, and courage. Plus, Betsy tries her hand at mofongo-making—and it’s a moment.
Come for the flavor, stay for the wisdom. This is an episode you’ll want to savor.
Subscribe, rate, and share the B Student Podcast—because the B side of your story might just be the best part.
Connect with Mario: https://www.instagram.com/laurensigmancollection/?hl=en
Connect with Betsy Gardner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsygardner22/
Learn More about Winter Park Chamber of Commerce: https://www.winterpark.org/
B Student Podcast
The B Student Podcast is hosted by Betsy Gardner, the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. The podcast focuses on exploring the "B side" of influential and dynamic professionals.
Just like the B-side of a record, where deeper, more personal passions often live, this podcast highlights the less publicized yet deeply impactful aspects of these individuals' work and lives. Betsy brings her extensive experience as a CEO, speaker, consultant, and executive coach to dive into conversations with experts from diverse fields.
The goal is to provide listeners with actionable insights, strategies, and inspiration to help them succeed and create meaningful impact in their own careers and communities. Each episode introduces listeners to unique perspectives and lessons on topics like leadership, emotional intelligence, community building, and personal growth—empowering the audience to "be" more successful and impactful in their own lives.
About the host:
Betsy Gardner is a dynamic leader with a diverse professional background. Since January 2017, she has served as the President and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, where she has been instrumental in modernizing the organization and implementing innovative programs to support local businesses and the community.
Under her leadership, the chamber has received national recognition, including the North American Chamber Innovation Grand Prize, surpassing larger chambers such as Greater Boston and Vancouver. Before her tenure at the chamber, Gardner co-founded Longwave Apparel Ltd. in London, a company specializing in luxury UV-protective swimwear. She also served as the Director of Business Development for Mentore Consulting Ltd., focusing on mentoring programs for women in leadership roles.
A native of Winter Park, Florida, Gardner holds a degree in History from the University of Florida, where she was recognized for her leadership and academic achievements. She is passionate about community development and has been involved in various initiatives, such as "Relaunch: Career Re-entry for Professional Women," which assists women returning to the workforce. She is also known for advocating for important issues and her efforts to make the chamber's programming more inclusive and relevant.
Her leadership style is characterized by a strong bias toward action, strategic clarity, and a commitment to driving transformative revenue growth and innovation. She is dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and is recognized for her ability to energize cross-functional teams to consistently outperform targets.
- No. of episodes: 9
- Latest episode: 2025-05-21
- Business Entrepreneurship Non-Profit
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