CONCORD, CA, April 13, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Talia Grace Ortega has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. Ortega is the founder and chief executive officer of Social Skillet, a company she established in 2025 to reimagine how people connect, learn and grow through food. Rooted in her philosophy of servant leadership, her work focuses on building confidence, strengthening relationships and creating experiences that extend far beyond the kitchen.

Through Social Skillet, Dr. Ortega designs and leads hands-on culinary programs for diverse audiences, including youth, corporate teams, senior communities and private groups. Each experience is intentionally structured to develop leadership, communication and collaboration skills, whether through a team-based cooking challenge, a youth enrichment class or a community workshop. Her programs emphasize real-world skill-building, shared responsibility and meaningful interaction, all grounded in the belief that confidence is built through doing.

Her approach is deeply influenced by her global culinary experiences. While traveling, she has participated in immersive cooking classes around the world. For example, preparing traditional pho in Vietnam, making fresh pasta by hand in Italy and learning to craft spanakopita in Greece. These firsthand experiences inform her program design, allowing her to bring authentic cultural elements into her work and create experiences that feel both educational and globally inspired.

Dr. Ortega believes that food is one of the most powerful connectors between people. She views cooking as a vehicle for building trust, strengthening communication and fostering a sense of belonging. In an increasingly digital world, she is committed to creating hands-on, in-person experiences that cultivate joy, creativity and human connection in ways that technology cannot replicate.

Prior to founding Social Skillet, Dr. Ortega served as a culinary arts educator and program developer with the Walnut Creek School District from 2021 to 2025. There, she built a highly sought-after middle school culinary program, designing a student-centered curriculum that integrated cooking with academic content and social-emotional learning. Her work emphasized hands-on engagement, collaboration and cultural awareness, laying the foundation for her current entrepreneurial pursuits.

She also brings nearly a decade of experience with Cooking Round the World, an organization founded by her mother, Mindy Myers. Beginning as a camp counselor at age 15, she advanced into leadership roles including camp manager and district manager, where she oversaw multiple program sites and led operations, outreach and marketing initiatives. This experience not only shaped her leadership style but also inspired the vision behind Social Skillet.

Dr. Ortega holds a Doctor of Education in educational leadership and organizational innovation from Marymount University, earned in 2025. Her doctoral research examined how student voice and stakeholder perspectives can transform educational experiences. This work culminated in her dissertation, "Reimagining Middle School Education After the Pandemic: A Case Study on School Structure, Learning and Expression of Understanding," and contributes to ongoing conversations around educational reform and more student-centered approaches to learning.

She also earned a Master of Education and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from the University of California, Santa Cruz, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in teaching English as a second language from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Throughout her career, Dr. Ortega has credited the support of her parents, Mindy and Richard Myers, and her husband, Jacob Ortega, as instrumental to her success, instilling in her the values of patience, resilience, honesty and compassion. She encourages others to find joy in the present, believing that while goals guide us forward, life is most meaningful when we learn to celebrate where we are—not just where we are going.

Looking ahead, Dr. Ortega plans to expand Social Skillet by growing her team, deepening community partnerships and increasing access to her programs across the Bay Area and beyond. She remains committed to building a company that not only teaches cooking, but also inspires individuals to connect more deeply with themselves and others.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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