Luvafoodie is a brand that connects people who share a passion for food and beverage. In 2014, Michelle Mazzara, CEO of Luvafoodie, decided to follow her dream.  She had worked for large consumer brands companies in sales for the previous twenty-five years. 

She began by adding candy and started selling caramel with the Luvafoodie brand at select grocery stores. Consumers categories beyond confections.  In 2016 she introduced a line of gourmet spices under the Luvafoodie brand.  Following the success, she experienced with spices, she added Belgian chocolates and drink mixes to the portfolio. 

Unexpectedly, in August 2016, Michelle was diagnosed with heart disease having an 80 % blockage in her left anterior descending artery, LAD.  She had been misdiagnosed with costochondritis for 10 months even though she had complained of chest pain, shortness of breath, had a family history of heart disease and a cholesterol reading of 330.    Unfortunately, during recovery, after placement of the stent, Michelle suffered a heart attack.  “This changed my life and my perspective of what I really wanted to do with the brand and my vision of the company, “Michelle stated.  Because of living with heart disease, in January 2017, Luvafoodie launched a salt free spice line and a new Happy Heart Dark Chocolate Belgian Bar.

Michelle is a Brand Ambassador for the Twin Cities American Heart Association Go Red Women Ad Campaign in Minnesota.  She shares her story in order to build awareness about heart disease among women.  She states, “My mission is to help increase awareness of the prevalence of heart disease and stroke among women in order to inspire other women to take charge of their own health.  Heart disease is the #1 killer of women causing 1 in 3 deaths. My mission is to make a difference in peoples’ lives and help prevent heart disease.”

At the end of June, Michelle launched a new line of spice blends created for dogs and cats. The new spice blends for dogs and cats was inspired by Michelle’s aging dog Lucy. Michelle wanted to boost Lucy’s nutrition and help her feel better. The specific herbs used in the Dog and Cat Lovers spice blends are to help boost a cat or dog’s nutrition as a supplement to their dog and cat food.

Luvafoodie products can be found in local Twin Cities grocery stores and on Luvafoodie.com and Amazon.com. Luvafoodie Salt Free Recipe Cookbook is available in Kindle and hard copy on Amazon.com.

Michelle goal is to continue to expand Luvafoodie spice distribution across the country. Our goal at Luvafoodie is to create clean eating good for your products. Our mission statement is Eat Clean, Be Well & Stay Well.

Rommel Sacan

Rommel is an LA-based singer songwriter from the Philippines. He has taken his music in venues like the Pasadena Cable Channel, UC Irvine, Fullerton College as well as Hollywood venues like Viper Room, Pig ‘n Whistle, etc.

Rommel’s songs are bluesy love songs elevating eco-social consciousness musically documenting how our hearts are shattered by the kind of world we create and time and time again resurrected by the love in the music we share.

MELISSA METCALF LE ROY

“I dropped from a size 16 to a size 0!” – Melissa Metcalf Le Roy

Melissa is a Certified Holistic Nutritional Practitioner (CHNP) who after years of weight gain and chronic pain sought the help of doctors and has ended up with nine prescriptions, but with no long term solution.

After meeting with Dr. Joseph V. Picone she was diagnosed with a rare disease. On Dr. Picone`s recommendation, she added digestive enzymes and altered her diet. She overcomes her inflammation and an overgrowth of bad gut bugs and has lost close to ninety pounds she had put on while battling this illness.

Melissa currently works at Foothills Wellness Center where she helps people heal themselves. She is a nutrition coach who shares her menus on her blog On Fire Healing. She has been awarded her CHNP license and a certificate in Native American Health Studies through Western Carolina University. Once overweight and unhealthy she now actively participates in road races, half marathons and Spartan Races.

CHRISTOPHER CALIENDO

Hailed “a wunderkind!” by LA Weekly, composer, guitarist and publisher, Christoper Caliendo’s world music has been embraced world-wide finding equal resonance with film studios, philharmonics, chamber societies, the Vatican, the U. S. Military, virtuosi, political figures and celebrities.

His music is performed and recorded  by students and virtuosi alike and has been the subject of  doctoral dissertations. His sheet music catalog of world music for flute alone has more than 350 original compositions and arrangements made available as digital downloads.

Keith Hannaleck of Gramophone Magazine has described Christopher as, “… one fantastic guitar player … simply masterful and as fluid as humanly possible. A great composer … one of the best musicians in the world.”

BRIAN LUCE

Brian Luce, “an authoritative soloist” praised for his “technical agility” and “lyric power,” teaches at The University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music and is a member of the Arizona Wind Quintet. He has performed as a principal flutist for orchestras in Illinois, Texas, and Pennsylvania. He also performed with the Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Dallas Bach Society, Dallas Wind Symphony, Abilene Philharmonic, and Keystone Wind Ensemble. Brian performs chamber music and concertos in addition to presenting master classes worldwide.

He is a prizewinner in the National Flute Association, Myrna Brown, Mid-South, and Kingsville International young artist competitions. His compositions, arrangements, and realizations are published by Editions BIM and IntegrityInk, and he has written for the Flutist Quarterly and Flute Talk Magazine. He has recorded for the Naxos, Albany, Toccata Classics, and Citadel labels. A Yamaha Artist, Brian has played Yamaha flutes exclusively since 1996.