Daniel Mathieu

Daniel Mathieu is a complex, yet simple guy from Maine. His journey of self-discovery led him to California in the early 80s, where he was first introduced to the world of catering. He moved to Boston in the mid-’80s and started East Meets West, a revolutionary and new catering company for Boston. He then went on to own and operate a number of restaurants and food establishments in Boston and Maine in the 1990s and 2000s. His last endeavor was a company called Max Ultimate Food, which he co-owned and operated with his business partner Neal Balkowitsch until 2020. Dan has sat on numerous nonprofit boards during his time in New England including Kids Can Cook, an organization that provided after-school cooking programs for under-served youth. Kids Can Cook has worked with more than 1,000 youth in the Boston area and taught them how to shop for food and cook healthy meals, for themselves and their families.

Dan was first introduced to Kripalu more than 20 years ago by Karen DeTemple. Kripalu has been an integral part of the Berkshires community, and its value and importance to the community cannot be overstated.