Caroline J. Beck is a bit of an enigma - at one moment a serious and successful business exec and at the next, an excited student of the culinary world. She blended the two with her latest career move as a freelance food and wine writer and a strategic advisor to specialty food start-ups. Articles and columns penned by Caroline have appeared in many publications, including the Santa Ynez Valley Journal, Michigan BLUE – Michigan’s Lakestyle Magazine, and The Olive Oil Source, the world’s top-ranked olive oil-related website, where she has served as editor since 2007.

Following a career in high tech during its heady days, it was inevitable that she would end up turning her attention to a life-long personal passion for food and wine, and a special obsession with olive oil. She feels some comfort knowing that her freakishly large collection of cookbooks is considered quite normal among this crowd. Various bouts of retirement – the first resulting in a very extended trip to Paris and study at the Cordon Bleu; the second building a successful specialty food business in 1997 from her ranch in California and making award-winning olive oil and – have not dissuaded her.  Caroline’s website, www.carolinejbeck.com, provides common sense advice for enthusiastic entrepreneurs looking to succeed in the specialty foods business.