Hipcooks founder Monika is famous for never stressing in the kitchen, measuring with her hands, and dancing while cooking. First-generation American, she loves to experience culture through food and travel. After working as an econometrician at the RAND Corporation, she followed her heart and took a leap of faith to open Hipcooks in Los Angeles in 2004. Since then, Hipcooks has expanded to Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Orange Country, and 3 schools in the city of Los Angeles, with over 100,000 students. Monika has one published cookbook and a second in production.