# Stephanie Lawrence

> Stephanie Lawrence is the co-founder and co-CEO of Traveling Spoon, the marketplace she built to put travelers at a stranger's dinner table around the world. Born from a failed quest to learn dumplings from a Chinese grandmother, the company connects guests with vetted home cooks - 95% of them women - across dozens of countries for private meals, cooking classes, and market tours. A Dartmouth and UC Berkeley Haas MBA who worked with Alice Waters and Google.org before launching, Lawrence turned a travel frustration into a business that funnels income to local women while preserving family recipes that might otherwise vanish.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Co-CEO at Traveling Spoon, Inc.
- **Organizations:** Traveling Spoon, Inc., Chez Panisse Foundation, Google.org
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor's degree, cum laude, Dartmouth College, MBA with honors, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business
- **Known for:** Co-founded and scaled Traveling Spoon to operate in dozens of countries, Built a host network that is roughly 95% women, generating income in local economies, Traveling Spoon named one of Business Insider's '39 coolest startups founded by women'

## Career timeline

- **pre-2011** — Worked with Alice Waters and the Chez Panisse Foundation on marketing and business strategy, and at Google.org; background in international development
- **2011** — Met co-founder Aashi Vel at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business; conceived Traveling Spoon
- **2011** — Launched Traveling Spoon pilot program in December
- **2012** — Acquired first paying customers in January
- **2013** — Launched beta website in July; won People's Choice at Women 2.0 Conference, Las Vegas
- **2014** — Raised funding from Erik Blachford (former Expedia CEO) and The Chennai Angels
- **2015** — Expanded into the Philippines and India (12 cities)
- **2022** — Operating across roughly 60-65 countries

## Achievements

- Co-founded and scaled Traveling Spoon to operate in dozens of countries
- Built a host network that is roughly 95% women, generating income in local economies
- Traveling Spoon named one of Business Insider's '39 coolest startups founded by women'
- Featured in The New York Times, Travel+Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, CNN and Forbes
- Graduate of UC Berkeley's Venture Lab Program, winning $12,000 in prize money
- People's Choice Winner, Women 2.0 Conference 2013 (Las Vegas)

## Latest updates

- **2022** — Traveling Spoon reported operating across roughly 60-65 countries.
- **2023** — Profiled in UC Berkeley Haas alumni newsroom on the company's road to success.

## Links

- Website: https://travelingspoon.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stepholawrence
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/TravelingSpoon
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/travelingspoon

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/stephanie-lawrence
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-21