Melissa has loved baking since she was a young girl and grew up making homemade caramels, candies and lollipops for her classmates—which were well received even back then. Born and raised in Haiti, Melissa made her way to NYC and decided to pursue her love of baking. At the Institute of Culinary Education, she honed her skills of precision and technique and graduated with a degree in Pastry Arts and Baking. She’s worked in a number of kitchens, including top hotels, local bakeries and Michelin star restaurants. Most notably, she’s worked as the Pastry Production Manager and Pastry Sous Chef at the acclaimed Stephen Starr restaurants Buddakan New York and Morimoto NYC, where she helped to create their innovative dessert menus. You can also find her latest creations at ILILI, where she used Lebanese flavors to create mouthwatering desserts. If her friendly smile seems familiar, you may have seen her on a few cooking shows, including Top Chef Just Desserts.

What Melissa loves about baking is all its endless possibilities. She loves taking a classic item and giving it a unique and tasty twist.