Mary Nguyen, Founder & Chef, Olive & Finch

Mary Nguyen is a self-taught chef and a prominent figure in Denver’s culinary scene, boasting over two decades of experience. Her career began not in hospitality, but as an Investment Banker and Commodities Trader. She transitioned into the food and beverage industry at The Beehive and Hapa Sushi, where she distinguished herself as the only female executive sushi chef in North America at the time.

 In 2005, after refining her culinary skills, Nguyen opened the acclaimed Vietnamese-French bistro, Parallel Seventeen, followed by the Asian concept, Street Kitchen, in 2011. She launched the award-winning fine-casual restaurant Olive & Finch in.

 Focusing on thoughtful, chef-driven cuisine, Nguyen expanded the Olive & Finch brand in 2017 with a second location in Cherry Creek.  In 2018, Nguyen created O&F Bakeshop, specializing in scratch-made pastries and cakes, followed by Finch on the Fly, which focuses on culinary-driven wholesale offerings such as grab-and-go salads, sandwiches, and cold-pressed juices. Finch on the Fly currently supplies prime concessionaires at DEN, along with local hospitals, hotels, and specialty markets across the metro area. In 2023, she introduced Little Finch, an all-day café on Denver’s 16th Street Mall. Together, Olive & Finch, Little Finch, O&F Bakeshop, and Finch on the Fly form the Olive & Finch Collective, which Nguyen leads as chef and founder.

 Most recently, she founded Collective Management Partners to provide comprehensive management, accounting, HR, and marketing services to food, beverage, and hospitality brands.

 As one of Denver’s notable BIPOC chefs, Nguyen was featured in “The Empowerment Project,” which showcases the success stories of women from across the U.S.

 Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of hospitality leaders, Nguyen is an advocate for community engagement and inclusivity within Denver. She is particularly passionate about uplifting the Asian-American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, volunteering with Asian Girls Ignite and serving on the board of the Colorado Asian Chamber of Commerce to ensure that AAPI voices are represented in the business world.