Our story begins with you.

Kathy Napleton, CNFC, FNTP

Founder, Wellness Chef, Holistic Nutritionist

While I enjoyed many years in the corporate world, my roots always pulled me back to the kitchen. My love for food, cooking, and a desire for healthier living led to my next chapter: cooking school in Chicago and then New York, where I studied to become a natural whole-foods chef. Still, there was much more to learn. It wasn’t just about cooking delicious food—it was about understanding which foods to eat, and why, to provide long-term health and vitality and to prevent disease and illness.

This led to further schooling and studies at the Nutrition Therapy Institute in Colorado in functional nutrition therapy. This combined education and skills inspired my desire to bring awareness to the importance of “food as medicine.” Now, I love sharing with you about the necessity for real, whole foods so you can feel great and experience the deliciously healthy life that comes with being well nourished.

Lauren Austin,

Director of Operations & Business Development

My relationship with food hasn’t always been great. For the majority of my life, I ate the wrong things. Not on purpose—I just didn’t know better. Coincidentally, I never felt well either. After graduation from Indiana University, things only escalated as a young working professional. Coupled with stress and lack of sleep, my standard American diet led to weight gain as well as skin and digestive problems, and I knew I needed a change.

While working for a food packaging design agency, I became aware of consumers’ demand for healthier food options. This awareness sparked a change to my lifestyle: eating to live. Shifting my purchasing decisions to real food and more natural home and body care products, I turned my health around. It’s this path that motivated me to pursue a career in helping others to take back their own health—and it’s the journey I’m on today.

Anjelica Rodriguez, BSN, CHSC

Director of Culinary, Wellness Chef, Holistic Nutritionist

Motivated by health and appearance in my late teens, I became a gym rat and an avid reader of health magazines. Yet, I began to notice that my family’s traditional dishes looked very different than those advertised as “healthy.” I felt confused—do I eat according to fad diets and opinions of the magazines or how my family has traditionally eaten for years? This confusion led me to formally study holistic nutrition at Bastyr University, where I earned my bachelor’s degree of science in nutrition.

Inspired by changes in my own health, I wanted to share my knowledge and love for food—specifically, to teach how to make it and to guide others. I completed Integrative Nutrition’s program for health coaching, and through Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York, I became a Certified Health Supportive Chef. During this time, I also became a mother and utilized my culinary skills to recreate my family’s favorite meals with a healthy twist. Since then, I’ve worked as a personal chef and restaurant sous chef. Looking for more, I joined the Nourished team to combine my passion for food, nutrition, and cooking to inspire people to take control of their health by starting in the kitchen!

Mary Corlett

Director of Merchandising

Growing up, we always enjoyed healthy homemade meals, made with fresh vegetables and herbs grown in my mother’s backyard garden—and this upbringing is where my inspiration for healthy living began.

After time in my corporate career and achieving an MBA in entrepreneurship from DePaul University, I decided to switch gears and follow my passion for food. As a single mother of three small children, I experienced difficulty in finding nutritious cuisine to go. I wanted to solve this “need” of our community and, staying true to my roots, I opened a café in Elmhurst that offered healthy prepared meals.

After selling my business, I continued to expand my culinary career experience in the areas of corporate sales, large-scale kitchen operations, and business development. Joining Nourished has been the pinnacle of my career, allowing me the opportunity to incorporate my business skills within a TRUE wellness environment. I am happy to be part of a team that’s able to serve our community with organic, sustainable, and truly nourishing food.

Lauren Randolph

Operations Manager & Client Health Advocate

After graduating from the University of Illinois, I found myself run down and “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Having grown up in a healthier home environment, I knew my poor diet and lifestyle choices throughout my college years were the root cause—I was too young to feel this poorly.

Throughout my mid-20s and early 30s, I focused on a preventative lifestyle. I adopted an organic whole-foods diet and cut out much of the junk in the Standard American Diet (SAD). With dedication and patience—and sleep, exercise and water—my symptoms lessened and some even disappeared.

Inspired by these results, I wanted to deepen my knowledge and received certification in nutrition science from Stanford’s Center for Heath Education. This comprehensive foundation in nutrition explored the importance of micro- and macronutrients and how they impact human health. With this knowledge, it is my goal to influence and educate others about the power of prevention and food as medicine!

Linnzie Pandel, CHWC

Wellness Chef & Instructor

I come from a long line of great cooks, where food was always at the heart of the home and the kitchen an integral place of joy and happiness. This innate passion forged the beginning of my culinary career. I attended Texas Culinary Academy and, upon graduation, spent 20+ years cooking and teaching.

During these years, health and wellness were always at the forefront. I advocated sourcing and cooking whole foods alongside mindful eating. Seeing the changes in my own health, I decided to pursue further education through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am now a certified health & wellness coach.

As a Nourished Wellness Chef, I am excited to bring more confidence to everyday at-home cooking. With knife skills, proper cooking technique, and food education, you can easily approach any mealtime. My kitchen philosophy is simple: if you cook well, you can eat even better!

Nicole Randolph, RN

Community Ambassador/Special Events

I never fully understood the concept of “food as medicine” until becoming part of the Nourished team. After completing my BSN at Herzing University Madison, I began to feel defeated with conventional healthcare’s approach to focusing on temporary curative solutions rather than advocating for preventative care.

Despite the need for and importance of western medicine, I wanted to expand my scope and be part of the growing field of holistic health. In joining Nourished, I have become part of a company whose mission to educate aligns with my own. I love combining my medical and nutritional knowledge to help all our surrounding communities understand the impact diet and lifestyle choices have on their health now and in the future!