Melinda Sandifer’s inspiration to become a chef and start her mobile catering service, Miss’ipi Chefs, came from her oldest sister, who cooked professionally. But the support that has helped keep the small business afloat during the pandemic has come from MESO. Melinda grew up in Portland in a family where everyone cooked, but started her business while living in the South. When she decided to return to her home town with Miss’ipi Chefs in tow, she built a local following by adding gluten-free and vegan dishes to the menu. However, as the pandemic threw that success in peril last year, she realized she needed to rethink her original business plan. “I had to really think about the future,” Melinda says. “I had to think, ‘If Covid never leaves, how do I keep things going?’” She turned to MESO for help answering that question. After learning about the importance of pivoting to survive the pandemic, she began offering virtual catering and decided to branch out into the retail market with a line of healthy prot