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Originally from Ludhiana, India, Maneet Chauhan grew up in a culture that values academic success, but she chose a less traditional path. After earning a hotel management degree from The Welcomegroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, she interned at prestigious hotels like the Taj Group, Oberoi Hotels, and Le Meridian.
As a student, she felt a strong sense of belonging among fellow food enthusiasts and immersed herself in campus life, volunteering for events and competitions. After graduating with top honours, she moved to Chicago, where she secured the executive chef position at the contemporary Indian and Latin American fusion restaurant Vermilion, beating out 40 male chefs for the role. She later moved to New York City to open At Vermilion, earning accolades from renowned publications.
Venturing out on her own, she founded Indie Culinaire, a culinary event and consulting company in 2011. Today, Chauhan is the founding partner and president of Morph Hospitality Group in Nashville, which includes Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Tansuo, and Mockingbird. She is also the author of two cookbooks and hosts Festive Cooking with Maneet on TV Asia.
Then, at just 20 years old, she made a bold decision to enrol in the CIA for a baking and pastry arts associate degree. “It was this that started my quest... and I never turned back,” she recalls. “CIA was and still is my Disneyland.”