BIO MICHEAL SPARKS Micheal Sparks is an internationally known design and branding expert, counting among his clients a range of high-end retail and fashion establishments, well-known celebrities and world-class organizations including Louis Vuitton, FashionistaTea, International Council of Fine Arts Deans, Virginia Commonwealth University and Institute for Contemporary Art. Micheal Sparks is an internationally known design through fashion, art and design, work that and branding expert, counting among his clients a revitalizes brands, attracts new customers and range of high-end retail and fashion retains loyal ones. establishments, well-known celebrities and world-class organizations including Louis Vuitton, Sparks began his career over 30 years ago as an FashionistaTea, International Council of Fine Arts assistant designer for the high end eye wear Deans, Virginia Commonwealth University and designer Lugene Optical in New York City. Institute for Contemporary Art. The founder and Inspired by his passion for design, he launched president of Micheal Sparks Design, a luxury Artistic Eye, which specialized in luxury lifestyle branding and design business in Richmond, products with flagship stores in Beverly Hills and Virginia, brings more than 35 years of experience San Francisco. It is through those early ventures marked by continual innovation, creativity, Sparks built a distinguished clientele in numerous long-lasting economic impact and international cities including New York City, London, Paris, connections that give him access to resources Madrid and Osaka with prominent figures such as around the world. Halle Berry, Barbara Streisand, Brad Pitt, Janet Jackson, Robert Redford and Oprah Winfrey. Micheal and his team oer a distinctive international focus on multimedia, branding and Later, Micheal moved to London where he design that elevates clients to the next level. The concentrated on design, working as creative essence of Micheal Sparks Design is to create consultant for a number of British brands. With his success in Great Britain he was oered a retail and restaurant pop-ups to the next level, freelance position in Madrid working with LVMH integrating the concept into the 2015 UCI Road (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) and their Spanish World Championship to further capitalize on brand Loewe where he worked over eight years burgeoning economic development opportunities. before returning to New York and creating Micheal and restaurant pop-ups to the next level, Sparks Design. integrating the concept into the 2015 UCI Road World Championship to further capitalize on Since his arrival in Richmond, Micheal has formed burgeoning economic development opportunities. partnerships within the City’s arts community, helping local artisans and designers create Micheal has been featured in the San Francisco bespoke housewares and mid-century modern Chronicle, New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, furniture that he sells at MSDModern, a GQ Magazine, Travel and Leisure and numerous Manchester warehouse that he renovated and Richmond region publications. His company is designed. also providing graphic design work that was part of the marketing package for Virginia In 2013, Micheal created the framework for a Commonwealth University’s Institute for pop-up revolution, beginning with his co-founding Contemporary Art opened in 2015. of The Underground Kitchen, a pop-up dining society in Richmond featuring buzzed about local chefs – tickets routinely sell out within minutes. Micheal is now working with the city of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University to take The Underground Kitchen: The most exclusive dining ticket in town. R ICHMOND TIMES -DISPATCH The Underground Kitchen is a supper club that Part of the allure of UGK events is their gives members access to a one night only, 5-7 intimacy—only 25-40 people get a ticket, but course gourmet meal prepared by a premier local anyone can register to receive the invitation that chef in an undisclosed location. Each chef prepares goes out a few days before tickets go on sale. As a food that pushes their limits of culinary creativity result of the intimate setting, conversation with your and is uniquely dierent than anything on their dinner partners is as much a part of these meals as restaurant’s menu. Each event’s theme is intricately anything else. What better way to meet interesting woven through the menu and atmosphere so no people than over the course of a fabulous, one of a two experiences are ever similar. Unique locations kind meal? add to the overall experience by utilizing art studios, local restaurants, farms, or anywhere else In the invitation that is sent out a few days before representing UGK’s holistic vision. These venues the event, only three pieces of information are enhance the themes, and generate dialogue about divulged: the date of the dinner, the date and time food sources, culinary preparation, and eating. when tickets will go on sale, and a clue about the location of the event. That’s it. The menu, chef, and An understanding of food, as an economy, location are kept secret until the last possible profession, and source of enjoyment is one of the moment. The tickets are all inclusive, covering the founding principles of UGK. The Underground meal, wine, and gratuity, and the prices vary based Kitchen oers members an exceptional culinary on the location/theme of the event. Tickets are first experience, while getting them in touch with come, first served, and sales are limited to two like-minded individuals and teaching them about tickets per member. the roots of various cuisines. These “meals”—I hesitate to call them meals because they are so much more— these meals are unified in concept and immaculate in their execution. UGK EXPANSION In 2014, Underground Kitchen (theundergroundkitchen.org), the celebrated southern pop up dining society, was founded in Richmond, Virginia. Now, the secret(ive), roving supper club is coming to a destination near you with a whirlwind nationwide tour, kicking off in Florida in March 2018. Underground Kitchen is known throughout the Mid-Atlantic for hosting extravagant, multi-course dinners in secret locations with world-renowned and up-and-coming chefs. Since its founding, it has traveled to cities like Washington, DC, Raleigh, NC, Columbia SC and Pittsburgh, PA. Now, Underground Kitchen co-creator Micheal Sparks is bringing his dinner series to a city near you. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has called Underground Kitchen “the most exclusive dining ticket in town.” Why is Underground Kitchen so secretive? Details are limited to create a heightened aura of suspense. The dinner series releases minimal details – the date, theme, chef and a clue about where the event will be held. THAT’S IT. The exact menu and location are kept under wraps until a few days before the event. ugk public events https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oh43gZZAeUw ugk corporate events http://theundergroundkitchen.org/Videos/UGK021717H.mp4 environmental ugk http://theundergroundkitchen.org/Videos/UGK062117H.mp4 2018 - 2019 UNDERGROUND KITCHEN POPUP DINNER TOUR DATES Fort Lauderdale, Florida St. Louis, Missouri Colorado Springs, Colorado MARCH 2 – 4 SEPT 14 – 16 MARCH 29 – 31 Orlando, Florida Columbus, Ohio Denver, Colorado MARCH 9 – 11 SEPT 21 – 23 APRIL 5 – 7 Charlotte, North Carolina Nashville, Tennessee Las Vegas, Nevada MARCH 23 – 25 SEPT 28 – 30 APRIL 26 – 28 Atlanta, Georgia Oklahoma City, Oklahoma San Francisco, California MARCH 30 – APRIL 1 OCT 5 – 7 MAY 3 – 5 Washington D.C. Dallas, Texas Portland, Oregon APRIL 6 – 8 OCT 12 – 14 MAY 10 – 12 Baltimore, Maryland Austin, Texas Seattle, Washington APRIL 13 – 15 OCT 19 – 21 MAY 17 – 19 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Houston, Texas APRIL 20 – 22 OCT 26 – 28 New York, New York New Orleans, Louisiana APRIL 27 – 29 NOV 2 – 4 Boston, Massachusetts Los Angeles, California MAY 4 – 6 MARCH 1 – 3 Portland, Maine San Diego, California MAY 11 – 13 MARCH 8 – 10 Minneapolis, Minnesota Phoenix, Arizona AUG 31 – SEPT 2 MARCH 15 – 17 Chicago, Illinois Albuquerque, New Mexico SEPT 7 – 9 MARCH 22 – 24 Get up close and personal with your favorite chefs as they push culinary boundaries and relish community with your fellow foodies. E XPERIENCE UGK COMMUNITY UGK CHEFS Underground Kitchen has worked with some of the best chefs on the East Coast, including Matthew Tlusty, former executive chef at Julep's in Richmond, VA, Joy Crump, former "Top Chef" contestant and executive chef at FoodE in Fredericksburg, VA, award-winning New York City chef Giovanna Delli Compagni and chef J. Ponder, an alum of Food Network's "Chopped" and "Cutthroat Kitchen.” chef delli campagni As a child, Delli Compagni watched her grandmother prepare traditional South American meals from scratch and soon took over the cooking responsibilities while her mother worked. At just nineteen, chef Delli Compagni and her mother moved from Venezuela to Arizona where she quickly found her calling at the East Valley Institute of Technology culinary program. It was there, she was introduced to C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program) where she excelled to the top of her class and was awarded one of 25 statewide scholarships. Her scholarship gave her a once unfathomable opportunity to attend the Culinary Institute of America. In 2016, Delli Compagni became the first female to win the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse Scholarship from the Daniel Boulud Scholarship Fund and was featured on the hit Food Network show “Chopped”. At just 33, Delli Compagni is now the sous chef of Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental in New York. chef j ponder A native of Monroe, GA, chef Ponder draws his cooking pedigree from a food-loving community that cherishes family recipes. Later, he honed his cooking prowess as a culinary specialist in the U.S. Navy, where he was frequently hand-selected to prepare meals for military and political dignitaries. He now owns Norfolk Kitchen Lab, with outposts in Hampton Roads, VA and Atlanta, GA.