Chef Hoppie x New Money: From the Kitchen to the Conversation on Innovation, Business & Entrepreneurship

What does a chef have to do with new money, innovation, and entrepreneurship?

That was one of the questions I found myself thinking about when I stepped onto the set of New Money.

At first glance, it might seem like an unexpected place for a chef.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

Because New Money wasn't simply about money.

It was about what happens when people take their ideas, influence, skills, creativity, and platforms and turn them into businesses.

And that's a conversation I understand.

I've been doing my own version of that through Chef Hoppie.

What Is New Money?

New Money was a television series exploring the changing relationship between innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, entertainment, athletes, creators, personal branding, and business.

The series was available on Tubi and Roku and backed by CoinDesk, bringing together people from different industries to talk about how they're building opportunities in a rapidly changing digital world.

That's what made the experience interesting to me.

The business landscape is changing.

The way people build careers is changing.

The way people connect with audiences is changing.

And increasingly, the things that used to exist separately—sports, entertainment, technology, culture, media, and business—are becoming part of the same conversation.

That's exactly the kind of conversation I wanted to be part of.

Stepping Into a Bigger Conversation

The people connected to New Money reflected that crossover.

Spencer Dinwiddie, the NBA star and host of the series, brought a sports perspective to a conversation centered around innovation and the changing business landscape.

Mario, the R&B superstar, represented another side of that intersection between entertainment, influence, and entrepreneurship.

Matt James, from the hit show “The Bachelor”, talked about his relationship with crypto and told stories about how he first came into the mix.

The series was backed by CoinDesk, a major crypto news platform, and Chavah Grant, a celebrity business strategist and business architect, co-produced the project which is still gaining momentum after years. 

And the Calaxy team was part of the experience as well.

Sports.

Music.

Technology.

Business.

Media.

Entrepreneurship.

Different worlds, but increasingly connected.

And somehow, right in the middle of that conversation, was a chef.

So Why Was a Chef on New Money?

Here's the thing:

I've never believed that being a chef means you only belong in a kitchen.

Food is where I come from, but it has also opened doors into sports, culture, entertainment, media, and business.

Building Chef Hoppie has meant building more than a culinary career.

It has meant building a brand, a business, a platform, and an identity around what I know, what I create, and how I connect with people.

That's what made New Money such an interesting fit.

The conversation wasn't simply about what I cook.

It was about what I'm building.

Being the Brand

During my segment, we talked about something I'm extremely passionate about:

Being the brand.

Not creating a character.

Not trying to become someone else because you think that's what people want.

Being yourself and understanding how the things that make you different can become part of the value you bring to the world.

Because you can't manufacture authenticity.

You can create an image. You can create a strategy. You can create a business plan.

But you can't fake a genuine connection forever.

The most powerful brand you can build is the one that's already you.

That's something I've carried with me while building Chef Hoppie.

And in today's creator economy, that idea matters more than ever.

Turning Who You Are Into What You Build

One of the biggest shifts happening in business is that entrepreneurship doesn't always look like it used to.

You don't necessarily have to follow one traditional path.

Sometimes, the opportunity starts with something you already have:

Your knowledge.

Your experience.

Your personality.

Your passion.

Your perspective.

Your skills.

Your story.

The challenge is learning how to turn those things into something meaningful—and, ultimately, something that can create value.

That's part of what monetizing a personal brand really means to me.

It's not simply putting your name on something.

It's understanding what you bring to the table and building something around it.

For me, that meant building Chef Hoppie.

And the more I've built, the more I've realized that food can be the starting point for conversations that extend far beyond food.

A Different Kind of Chef

Being invited onto New Money reinforced something I've believed for a long time:

The definition of a chef is changing.

A chef can be an entrepreneur.

A chef can be a creator.

A chef can be a storyteller.

A chef can be a brand builder.

A chef can be a media personality.

A chef can be a business owner.

A chef can have a seat at conversations about innovation and entrepreneurship.

For me, that doesn't mean leaving the culinary world behind.

It means expanding what the culinary world can connect to.

Food → Sports → Culture → Entertainment → Media → Business

That's the evolution I'm interested in.

And Yes… I Had a Little Fun

Of course, I couldn't step onto a television set without having a little fun with it.

And yes… I had a little fun shutting down the set. 😂🔥

That's part of the experience too.

You can take the business seriously without taking yourself too seriously.

From the Kitchen to the Business World

When I look at the New Money experience, I don't see it simply as a television appearance.

I see it as another chapter in a much bigger evolution.

From the kitchen to the screen.

From food to sports.

From cooking to culture.

From a culinary career to building a brand and business.

The opportunity to step into a conversation about innovation, entrepreneurship, media, entertainment, and influence was meaningful because it showed how connected these worlds have become.

And it reminded me that sometimes the most interesting opportunities come when you stop asking where you're supposed to belong.

You start asking:

What can I build with what I already have?

That's the question I'm continuing to explore with Chef Hoppie.

We're Building Something Bigger Than Food

The journey started with food.

But the vision has always been bigger.

I want to continue creating opportunities at the intersection of food, sports, culture, entertainment, media, and business.

That's what New Money represented for me.

Not simply being on television.

Not simply being around recognizable names.

But being part of a larger conversation about where business, culture, and influence are going—and understanding that there's room for a chef in that conversation.

Because the world is changing.

And the definition of what a chef can build is changing with it.

From the kitchen to the screen to the business world—

We're building something bigger than food.

LET'S EAT. 🔥