David Koepf

Background

About David Koepf

I have two professional passions – food and technology. As is often necessary in life, I had to make a choice as to which path to follow. I decided to carve my way in the restaurant industry. When the pandemic hit, it put a lot of things in perspective, and I knew it was time for a change. Before I entered the food world professionally, I began a degree in computer science while at the University of Toledo. After a series of events, I transferred to The Ohio State University and continued computer science for two more years. After making Thanksgiving dinner with my aunt, I felt my passion for food overtake my interest in computer science. I changed majors and graduated with a Food Business degree. Leaning into my passion for cooking, I continued my education and completed the culinary program at Columbus State College. I worked in kitchens for the next 10 years, working my way up from line cook at a local bar to Sous Chef at one of the “Best New Restaurants of Columbus” in 2021. While I have found success in kitchens, after the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, I desired a change in the direction of my career to a more conventional schedule. Although my current list of skills is not what is considered typical of the tech industry, I have a background in computer science thanks to my earlier educational courses. I am familiar with information technology and computer science concepts such as networking, programming languages (Visual Basic, C, and C++), and data entry. The restaurant industry has given me transferrable skills of 6+ years of management and business knowledge – understanding profit-loss, labor costs, vendor relations and inventory management. I am also used to the fast-paced, high-stress environment of the kitchen where I am managing many priorities at once to deliver the best customer experience possible. I cannot wait to bring these diverse experiences and areas of knowledge into my next profession. I have moved into the food supply chain world.