Seeing Entrepreneurship and a Blind Chef: Entrepreneur, Laura Martinez
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Women’s Leadership Initiative, Lerner College of Business & Economics, University of Delaware
Abstract
Laura Martinez is a blind woman who became an entrepreneur in the culinary field. She became the first blind person to train at Le Cordon Bleu and subsequently opened her restaurant, La Diosa, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This case examines Laura's challenges in becoming a chef and how she overcame them through determination and confidence in herself. Specific focus is given to the negative views of disabilities and disabled people that Laura contended with and how those can have an adverse impact on disabled people.
Description
Time period: The events covered by this case took place in 2010-2020.
Geographical setting:
Region: Americas
Country: United States
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Featured company: La Diosa
Employees: 1
Type: Self-owned
Industry: Culinary
Other keywords: Founded in 2015; First blind person to train at Le Cordon Bleu; First blind chef to graduate from the school; First blind chef in America to run a restaurant
Featured protagonist: Laura Martinez (female), Chef
The version of record is available at: https://www.thecasecentre.org/products/view?id=191982
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Keywords
leader, women's leadership, entrepreneurship, female entrepreneur, woman, assumptions, disabilities, disabled people, career, reduced inequalities
Citation
Bullough, Amanda, and Aynsley Dunham. "Seeing Entrepreneurship and a Blind Chef: Entrepreneur, Laura Martinez." Case Study. Women’s Leadership Initiative, Lerner College of Business & Economics, University of Delaware, 2023.