Chef Camilo Garavito has lived, studied and cooked all over the world, and now he’s focused on Wisconsin schools as a regional chef, bringing ideas and energy to Elior’s scratch kitchens, meeting students and generally bringing a beam of culinary sunshine

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Camilo Garavito studied business and hospitality in Costa Rica, got an MBA in Barcelona, and along the way worked in restaurants, making each experience a learning one. Now, he’s helping Wisconsin school food professionals at Elior North America accounts, leading K-12 by Elior’s new Chef on the Road Program.

The name of the program says it all; Garavito is always on the go, and he’s making the most of it. His inspiration comes from visiting the schools and meeting the foodservice teams and students. We talk about how a new perspective and fresh eyes can really add some zip to a school food program. He’s bringing in cool new recipes, ingredients and a can-do attitude along with him. We also get into his extensive world travels and how each learning experience he had is serving him now as he applies his knowledge to the many unique challenges of school food.