Lili brings a lifetime of passion for food, wine and hospitality and an unparalleled wealth of experience within the culinary industry to SDCI. She serves as the guiding force behind the artistic integrity of the school and mentors students throughout their succession in the program, imparting her global perspective and unwavering commitment to excellence upon the future endeavors of each and every student.
In Barquisimeto, Venezuela, where Lili was born, her father owned a shop that purveyed fine wines, delicate foods and chocolates that he hand-selected and imported from regions across the globe. She returned to the culinary world some 40 years later when she married Harold Meyberg, owner of the Silicon Valley icon, Meyberg's — a restaurant and catering concern.
When Harold later sold the business, he and Lili moved to Southern California to retire and to be closer to their first grandchild. Harold's retirement became a semi-retirement when he accepted the position of Managing Director of the College of Food culinary academy — and soon after, when the new corporate owner of that school decided to close it, she and Harold were to become owners of their own school.
When College of Food closed, Harold saw the need for a first-rate culinary school in San Diego. At that time, no other private school offered the sort of hands-on education that he knew aspiring students needed. So he and Lili decided to forgo retirement and pursue a dream.
In August of 2000, Harold and Lili founded the San Diego Culinary Institute based on one simple idea: to build a better culinary school. Together they founded the school based on a program of nearly entirely hands-on training. A school that taught technique, not recipes. As Harold designed the curriculum and the kitchen layouts, Lili managed the thousands of business and organizational details necessary to begin operations.
Today, Lili works with her son, David, to run the school and to continue to fulfill Harold's ideals. Since its founding, SDCI has steadily grown in both enrollment and reputation. Today it numbers among the top culinary schools in the nation.