Jacoby Ponder

From leveraging ten years in the Navy into TV appearances on shows like Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen to building a personal private chef business and holding cooking classes for couples, Chef Jacoby Ponder has a nose for entrepreneurial opportunities. Determined to start his own business after leaving the Navy, Ponder sought out information, education, and know-how to launch his new career. His hard work has paid off, resulting in a vibrant personal private chef business with an A-list clientele, along with side projects that have consistently sold out. As a trendsetter who refuses to let fear get in the way of his pursuits, Ponder has also managed to turn his name into a highly marketable, successful brand. Using both TV appearances and social media to reach a worldwide audience, Ponder has been hugely successful in turning market research into new opportunities. In our interview, Ponder opened up to us about competing on TV, the importance of consistency, his current project, Couples Cooking Classes, and how there’s no such thing as failure.

A certified culinary expert to the stars, Jacoby Ponder is taking the lean mean fine cuisine scene by storm. With a notorious May 2013 feature as a final contestant on the Food Network hit show “CHOPPED”: Military Salute episode under his belt, and now an uncontested win in September 2015 on Food Network’s latest and toughest hit series “CUTTHROAT KITCHEN”, Chef Ponder is carving his name in culinary history and earning the right to be mentioned among the food world’s greatest cooking professionals. A native of Monroe, Georgia, Celebrity Chef Ponder gained his cooking abilities from a laid back food loving city life in the South, but the bulk of his culinary skills and aspiration came during his 10 year tenure as a CS (Culinary Specialist) serving proudly in the United States Navy out of Norfolk, Virginia. Being hand selected on a regular basis to prepare meals for high profile military officer, prestigious military command, and political official functions was enough to confirm the pursuit of a career as a professional chef once his naval commitment came to an end. After transitioning back into civilian life, Ponder took the initiative to continue his education in culinary arts through the Culinary Institute of Virginia (ECPI University), and has now established his own culinary company, Chef Ponder & Co. – a talented team of choice chefs from the Hampton Roads Virginia and Atlanta areas.