Chef Duane is an entrepreneur and an award-winning chef from Flint, MI currently operating in the private sector of the New York culinary world. After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, Duane moved to New York to continue his education. A few years later, Duane graduated with great pride from the prestigious New York Restaurant School. Chef Duane has held positions with the Dean & Deluca Commisary Kitchen, the trending paleo restaurant Hu Kitchen, and the Ainsworth Prime Restaurant at Madison Square Garden. He has also held various culinary roles with the New York Mets at Citi Field, The US Open Tennis Tournament, Price Waterhouse Coopers, LLP, Harlem’s own Londel’s Supper Club, as well as Adelphi University.

Along the way, Chef Duane’s culinary talents have allowed him to audition for network television programming such as the “Next Food Network Star”, “Guy’s Grocery Games”, and “Chopped”. Chef Duane has also executed projects for many well-known chefs and restaurateurs including Dave Pasternack, Drew Nierport, Andrew Carmelini, Jean George, Joe Bastianich, Keith Hernandez and Pat Lafreida. Chef Duane’s culinary accomplishments include the creation of artisanal blend sauces through his company Sensational Sauces LLC, some of which have won awards including the World Champion at the World Hot Sauce Awards and the Hot Pepper Awards.

Through the success of Sensational Sauces LLC, Chef Duane has been featured at various culinary events such as Kings Who Cook, The American Cancer Society’s Taste of Hope, Resorts World Mid-Winters Taste and most recently Star Chef Congress where he won the Ramen Battle as a member of Team Mihoko. Chef Duane has also been able to use his company as a platform to mentor tomorrow’s aspiring chefs! Outside of the kitchen, Chef Duane spends time volunteering in the community as a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. as well as ministering as a member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.