Cynthia Nevels, also known as Chef Cynthia, is an amateur celebrity chef who started her career in the vegan food industry and environmental advocacy from humble beginnings.
"I had never worked in food service or hospitality before 2012 but I had always prepared meals and hosted unforgettable gatherings for friends and family. I was a business strategist and accountant who discovered later in life I had a gift for creating magic in the kitchen," shared Nevels.
Nevels got her start as a plant-based chef in 2012 with a small pop up kitchen at the Dallas Farmers Market in Dallas, Texas. Her popularity grew due to her creative recipes, high demand for plant-based alternatives and genuine compassion for her customers. So much so, in 2018, Soulgood became one of the first exclusively vegan vendors serve at the 2018 NFL Draft. Nevels published her book, Soulful Vegetarian Cooking: A Southern Girl’s Meaty Love Affair and Journey to Natural Foods on Instagram. Eventually, the series was printed as a hardcover book. In 2014, she was recruited for CNBC’s Restaurant Startup and featured on Harry Connick, Jr.’s nationally syndicated television show Harry.
Chef Cynthia has provided exclusive catering for phenoms such as Billie Eillish, Stella McCartney, Michael Finley and many more.
Since then, Nevels has received numerous business awards, international recognition as a leader in the vegan food industry and advocate for social impact in low income communities with high health disparities and food deserts.
Her head for business has not gone unnoticed. Nevels is Managing Director and Principal Consultant with Integrality and formerly served as Alumni Manager for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in Dallas. She formerly served as a mentor for United Way’s GroundFloor Accelerator program.
Nevels is the founder and head creative chef for one of the most popular vegan mobile food and catering companies in Texas - Soulgood.
Her son Tyler who was born with Cystic Fibrosis, the inspiration for Soulgood, passed away on July 23, 2015. Nevels works daily to share Tyler’s legacy. She is devoted to improving lives through love, food, and laughter. Nevels raises funds to feed homeless children, to give back to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to find a cure, and is currently recruiting team members who want to work to help serve more healthy plant-based foods to families in food deserts in low-income communities.
Soulgood food truck, known for its healthy and mission-driven meat-free dishes, was awarded the best food truck in Dallas by the Dallas Observer in 2018, not just best vegan or vegetarian truck but beating out all other food trucks for the title. It has expanded into a virtual restaurant using technology to deliver healthy plant-based food into communities with limited access to vegan food, a vegan bakery, a popular vegan catering company and health education company.
Soulgood offers plant-based twists on classic American dishes, including tacos, burgers, pancakes, and, in true Dallas-style, a Cowboy Bowl with vegan southwest chili and sour cream — all popular with meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.
When Tyler was diagnosed with the genetic disorder, Nevels sought to improve his health in any way she could, so began experimenting with meatless meals. Speaking to NBCDFW, the mother explained, “When he was going through the process of waiting for an organ transplant, I felt like the only thing I felt that was in my control, that I could help him [with], was the food that I fed him.”
After Tyler passed away, Nevels was determined to help others; she compiled the recipes she’d created for Tyler and founded Soulgood. Nevels hopes that her meat-free meals can bring other families health and happiness, as well as keeping her son’s legacy alive.
“People thought I was crazy to start a vegan/vegetarian food truck in Texas but I didn’t think I was crazy,” Nevels says. She researched growing trends, noting that more and more families were interested in healthier, locally-sourced food options, and knew she was onto something.”
While Soulgood’s dishes are all health-centric, Nevels is keen to ensure that each meal tastes delicious and appeals to people of all dietary preferences. “The key to it is creating foods that people can’t tell the difference, especially carnivores," she explains, “those who are looking for something that they are familiar with but is healthier.”
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