Peggy Steevensz has always had a passion for food and entrepreneurship. At age 15, she began supplying local health food stores in Los Angeles with her creamed leek pies, corn biscuit quiches and veggie rice wraps. Peggy’s professional career encompasses owning restaurants, film production and technology companies. The one common denominator throughout her career is Peggy’s ability to balance creativity with a strong business sense and an uncanny ability to lead and not follow market trends.
- At the age of 22 Peggy took over the one of LA's first natural foods restaurant “The East-West Family Kitchen” and rebranded it as “East West Gardens”. With virtually no advertising and only word of mouth, she attracted a stellar crowd and critical acclaim. Her patrons included the likes of Danny Devito, Cybill Shepherd, Barbara Streisand and David Hockney to name a few. Peggy and East-West Gardens are still remembered today as one of the pioneers of the gourmet vegetarian restaurant scene in Southern California. In 1989 Peggy partnered with Nour Tilo in Brentwood to launch Avotre Sante. Peggy has also taught cooking locally in Southern California and in Hawaii, Boston, London, Amsterdam and Miami.
- In 1993 she co-founded The Underground and wore many hats including Executive Producer, CFO and whatever it took to get the job done. The Underground; a talent, management and production company partnered with Chris Blackwell founder of Island Records. The Underground went on to manage and produce some of the era's most memorable and innovative talent including artists, directors, photographers, musicians of the era. The Undergrounds' spot for FILA won a Clio in 1995 and is now included in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
