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"Started by chefs Jason McKinney, Tyler Vorce, and Sarah McKinney after they worked together at the French Laundry, this business began by sourcing and selling fresh truffles and truffle products (including Balinese truffle salt) and was suddenly left with 20 pounds of fresh truffles and boxes of truffle salt when restaurants shut down in March 2020; they pivoted to virtual cooking classes and curated kits (initially selling out within hours), hosted classes with chefs like Suzette Gresham and celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, scaled from a nine-person quarantine team to more than 50 employees with four kitchen studios at a large Oakland location, secured a $501,000 investment from Mark Cuban for an 18 percent stake, report being in 75 percent of Whole Foods with truffle carpaccio online, and partner with the Alameda County Food Bank to give back while keeping virtual classes as their core model." - Ellen Fort