Maria Bido

Maria Bido is the Founder and CEO of Mía’s Cocina, an MWBE-certified Puerto Rican culinary company dedicated to preserving and celebrating Puerto Rican recipes, traditions, and culture throughout the diaspora. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maria launched Mía’s Cocina in 2021 through a small collaboration to create an instructional cooking video. What began as a single video quickly evolved into an opportunity to pilot an in-person cooking program specializing in Puerto Rican cuisine, setting the foundation for what would become a thriving culinary business.

As demand grew, Maria expanded Mía’s Cocina to include catering services, community programming, and vending at local food festivals. To date, Mía’s Cocina has hosted more than 150 hands-on Puerto Rican cooking experiences across New York City and beyond, serving a diverse audience that includes seniors, students, families, and corporate groups. Her most popular experience is the Traditional Pasteles en Hoja workshop, where participants learn the history, cultural significance, and hands-on preparation of one of Puerto Rico’s most cherished dishes.

Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Maria has collaborated with media outlets, content creators, and social media influencers to amplify Puerto Rican culinary traditions and share authentic cultural experiences with broader audiences. Her work has helped introduce new generations to traditional recipes while fostering meaningful connections through food. Today, Maria continues to lead Mía’s Cocina with a simple philosophy: Flavor. Culture. Love. Guided by the company’s mission to keep Puerto Rican recipes, traditions, and culture alive in the diaspora, she remains committed to creating experiences that honor her heritage while inspiring others to celebrate and preserve their own cultural traditions through food for future generations.