EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Team Building at Diane’s Market Kitchen

August 2023

Cooking Up Camaraderie at Diane’s Market Kitchen

On August 22nd, the Upward team headed around the corner from our office to Diane’s Market Kitchen on Post Alley for an evening of cooking, learning, and laughing together. After an afternoon business planning salon, we invited our significant others to join us for this team-building experience—and it turns out, nothing bonds a group quite like tackling avocado soup and Mexican brownies side by side.

Under the guidance of owner and chef Diane LaVonne, we prepared an incredible lineup of dishes inspired by Mexican, Caribbean, and Central American cuisine: corn and zucchini fritters, arroz con pollo, avocado soup, and those aforementioned brownies. The evening reminded us that great design—like great food—benefits from shared effort and a willingness to try new things.

Diane believes that eating well and eating delicious, healthy food should be a life choice, not a diet. Her focus is on local producers and people; she shops, uses, and promotes local products and ingredients. She also dedicates many hours to teaching free cooking classes for low-income seniors at the nearby Pike Place Market.

For our team, this event offered a meaningful opportunity to step away from project work, strengthen connections, and support a local small business near our downtown office. Participants included Annalisa Castelli and her husband Kevin, Veronica Restrepo and her partner Vallen, Will Siegel, and Mark and Erin Ward.