Chef Martha Palacios joined Kitchen of Purpose in December 2022 from Miami, FL where she grew up after her family immigrated from Nicaragua in 1986.  

Chef Martha enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and served honorably for 9 years. Soon after retiring from the Army, she started her culinary journey by enrolling at Le Cordon Bleu, where she obtained her Culinary and Baking & Pastry diplomas.  

After working in the restaurant and catering industries, as well as a personal chef in the Miami area, she began her own corporate catering business focusing on preparing every recipe from scratch and developing unique flavors in every dish. During the pandemic, Chef Martha shifted her focus to web based culinary classes as a way of staying busy during the lockdown. This is how she discovered her passion and that is how she discovered her passion for teaching and sharing her craft with others.

Chef Martha moved to Northern Virginia last year with her husband and three children. She is excited about utilizing a culinary approach to help create opportunities of advancement for community members in need.