Ericka Michelle Lassair aka “Chef Diva” is a New Orleans native and owner/chef of Diva Dawg Food Truck and Chef Diva Foods. After graduating from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA with a degree in marketing, she began working in finance in Dallas. Six years later, following Hurricane Katrina, she decided it was time to move home and help rebuild her city. She enrolled in culinary school at Delgado and worked at the historic five-star restaurant Commander’s Palace before opening her restaurant on Magazine Street, Diva Dawg.
Since 2012, Ericka has appeared on Destination America's "Last Call Food Brawl,” “Flip MyFood,” and most recently “Kitchen Queens”. In addition, she is the 2014 winner of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans WIB Pitch Challenge and the 2015 Capital OneBusiness Plan Pitch winner. She is Tory Burch Foundation 2016 Fellow / Ambassador and was featured in the January 2017 Vogue magazine alongside Tory Burch. In Cosmopolitan’s “Get That Life,” and an episode of Modern Hero streaming on Amazon Prime, Ericka shares the story of her entrepreneurial journey. Ericka was also featured in Essence magazine as the featured Celebrity Chef for Essence Eats and has an appearance in the movie “Girls Trip” in the Diva Dawg Food Truck.