We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carline Bengtsson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carline below.
Hi Carline, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Dine4Dinners® came into being because of a moment in time leading up to me transitioning from corporate life to how the next chapters of my life story would unfold. In the weeks prior to my retirement from Medtronic, I had a handful of recognize points that I wanted to consume and searched the recognize system as to what these points could be utilized for – two food organizations came up on the list. One which I was very familiar with, Feed My Starving Children, which stated that my remaining recognize points would feed a child for Nineteen weeks. At that moment, I realized this was what I needed to do – use my culinary abilities to give back to those in need. The mission of Dine4Dinners® is rooted in its dedication to combating hunger in partnership with organizations that provide meals for those in need of daily nourishment through dependable, reliable, and sustainable sources. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic Dine4Dinners® launched, June 13, 2020, serving eight guests, with a total of 800 meals donated to the food organization Second Harvest Heartland. The concept of an in-home restaurant style dining experience to pay it forward for those in need of daily nourishment through dependable, reliable, and sustainable sources was born, pursuing my passion of helping others by creating memorable meals. One quarter of the cost of the dining experience goes to a food organization of the client’s choice to feed people in need.
Within the first eighteen months of operation, Dine4Dinners® donated 104,000+ meals through various food organizations and is nearing 200,000 meals donated to date.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Born on the Caribbean Island of Jamaica, I moved to Minnesota as a child but consider myself a citizen of the world as I worked and lived in Europe (Switzerland), spending lots of time in Scandinavia and travels throughout Asia Pacific. I now reside in the beautiful little town of Lindstrom located forty minutes northeast of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. I completed my formative schooling at St. Agnes Catholic School and went on to study business and art at Concordia University, St. Paul, receiving my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business & Art, in the Spring of 1986. I also earned a Mini MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a Marketing Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton Executive Education Program.
My education put me on a path I never saw coming working in the insurance industry, military avionics, and finally medical technology before retiring and starting Dine4Dinners®. I excelled in the medical technology space, navigating the growing company and accepting roles with increasing responsibility as a program and people manager. I also had the opportunity to work internationally with the company, living in Switzerland while working at their European headquarters.
I decided to become a personal chef after retiring from corporate life, as I have always had a passion for cooking. Being a leader in the community and giving back to others, came later in life, through understanding how to serve others from a place of empathy and good will. The pivotal moment that bridged my two passions of cooking and giving back came from a decision to donate a gift of recognition points to a local food organization – giving them the opportunity to provide 400 meals to feed the hungry. I realized my calling and blended my two loves: creating memorable meals and helping others to nourish their bodies and souls. Dine4Dinners® was born and launched June 2020. The business model benefits both foodies and people in need of daily nourishment. Through the company’s initial flagship model of sharing in an in-home restaurant style dining experience, greater than 190,000 meals have been donated to date to feed the hungry.
Imagine, the next time you sit down to eat a meal, that you are also feeding another family. 25% of the cost of a Dine4Dinners® dining experience goes to a food organization of the client’s choice – paying forward the memorable dining experience to feed those in need.
I am most proud of how one single idea has made a significant impact on the community at large reaching multiple food organizations to provide meals to those dealing with food insecurity and additionally supporting communities and charities through their endeavors to meet their respective organizations goals.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Forty-nine years ago, I first came to the US from Jamaica via Miami, landing at MSP Airport in the summer of 1973. Right away life was different from the tropical way of life I left behind for Minnesota. But as a child it was extremely easy for me to transition to the new culture and in some ways, I quickly forgot the life I left behind. I could have never imagined that my seemingly ordinary life would transition into an extraordinary journey of Resolute Resilience, set in motion because of one faithful decision made by my mother who sought a better way of life in the United States of America.
Following my formative schooling and graduating from college, I joined Honeywell, and it was here the twist and turns of my career journey began. How does a person with a business and art degree, land an operations job supporting military avionics manufacturing and the space shuttle program? Well, I ceased the opportunity to learn operations while utilizing the transferrable skills I gained from my internship and continued employment at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, leading up to the Honeywell role.
Five and a half years later in 1992, I was devastated with the loss of my job through a workforce reduction, and not knowing what would be next for me. Although God’s plan was not in my purview, the Honeywell knowledge and experience gained, catapulted me to a position in the spring of 1993 with Medtronic – at the time an up-and-coming medical technology company, seeking an individual with operations background to help build and create a supply chain planning structure for one of their new product lines.
Although my education was grounded in the Catholic and Lutheran faiths, I grew up in the Covenant church where I cultivated my Scandinavian roots, which was nourished through my faith, love of music and shared Swedish traditions. I know you are already asking yourselves the question – how did a Jamaican girl grow up to become Swedish?
Now why did I share this seemingly ordinary background with you? Well, I was nourished in the belief that through education opportunities can abound. And I was the first in my family to receive an undergraduate degree through hard work, dedication, and support. Growth came from commitment to the process and an eagerness to learn. With each job and community board service, my confidence grew, and I was able to, later in life, mentor others to make informed decisions about their individual career journeys.
Although I’ve had a blessed life, by no means was it easy; I learned to overcome difficulties by keeping a tough upper lip and taking the high road in many circumstances.
You see, life becomes very real and the fragility of it very profound when you experience the loss of someone close – in my case, many, but the loss of my husband made me see the world around me differently. Through the sorrow, God’s plan was already in motion for what the next chapters of my life would reveal.
In 1988, a chance meeting on a boat outing brought me together with – my then husband-to-be: Lars Johan Georg Bengtsson, born and raised in Sweden, but now at home in Minnesota. We married in the fall of 1994 and resided in downtown St. Paul. We traveled the world, but always returned to Sweden for summers and Christmases. I would spend quiet time immersing myself in the Swedish language, culture, and traditional music. My love of singing led to the formation of the acapella quintet “Flickorna Fem” who performed throughout the Midwest, toured Sweden, and performed for world renowned individuals.
And then, life as I knew it suddenly changed, the person I dated and was married to for half my life was suddenly taken away from me in early 2012. Each day brought new and unforeseen challenges, and I came to realize that one never moves on from grief but learns how to move forward with grief that brings with it moments of overwhelming sadness, laughter, and loving memories all wrapped up into a package of an earthly life, once treasured, but remains constant in life’s everyday moments.
One of these moments led to the creation and publication of my first cookbook. As a young girl I would watch my mother prepare meals in the kitchen, sometimes even providing her a helping hand. My passion for cooking didn’t come to light until several years later. Eating a good home cooked meal was something I liked, and not much more than that. I always imagined that my artistic ability would lead me into the gallery space, providing unknown artists a venue for showing and sharing their work. Instead, I started using the dinner table as my own canvas and the food became my paint pallet, and choice of expression.
For years, my family and friends would say that I should open a restaurant and/or write a cookbook. Both suggestions were the furthest thoughts in my mind. But something clicked in me the latter part of 2013 and was probably related to a Joel Osteen Sunday morning message, where he shared that God’s favor will put the right people at the right place and the right time for you. “Be conscious of God’s favor for you”, he stated. “He helps us in our everyday life.” “Acknowledge God and he will crown your efforts with success. ‘Live favor minded.” “Thank God in advance for assisting you; speak favor over your situation. ‘God will make His face shine down on you and let you go places you could not go on your own.” Psalm 5 v. 12 says, “For thou dost bless the righteous, O Lord, thou dost cover him with favor as with a shield.”
The following year Joel’s message came to life. During the summer of 2013, I made the conscious decision that it was time to bring my cooking talents beyond the comfort of my home. So, in turn, I asked these same family and friends if they were food critics, what they would have to say about my cooking. Their favorable reviews gave me the spark I needed to move forward, never expecting that my ideas would end up on the interior pages of a cookbook someday. That someday was realized fall of 2014 with a launch in January of 2015.
During this time, I was continuing to grow in my career at Medtronic, a member of Concordia’s, College of Business & Technology Advisory Council, The Alumni Council, The President Advisory Committee, and an active member in my community participating on three boards: The Saint Paul Schubert Club, The American Swedish Institute, and The Eastside Arts Council. My vision was to retire from Medtronic in 2023 with thirty years of service. But once again, God threw me a curve ball and had other plans for me.
Now, this is where my life’s journey of resolute resilient life continues:
This year marks eleven years since the love of my life passed away, in February of 2012. Through wonderful friends I met my husband of four years now; we married in June of 2018 and in September the following year, 2019, I was devasted at the loss my job and retired from Medtronic to further pursue my two passions of helping others and creating memorable meals – establishing “Dine4Dinners” in 2020 to combat hunger in partnership with organizations that provide meals for those in need of daily nourishment through dependable, reliable and sustainable sources.
Now you are asking yourselves the second question: How did Dine4Dinners come about, especially during the pandemic?
In the weeks prior to my retirement from Medtronic, I had a handful of recognize points that I wanted to consume and searched the recognize system as to what these points could be utilized for – two food organizations came up on the list. One which I was very familiar with, Feed My Starving Children, which stated that my remaining recognize points would feed a child for Nineteen weeks. This was my second awe, awe moment, where I realized this was what I needed to do – use my cooking to give back to those in need. Remember, the first awe, awe moment was the realization to publish my first cookbook.
Unbeknownst to me it was time to move on and flourish in a different way upon my departure from Medtronic. As I reflected on that year from Sept of 2019 to Sept of 2020, the words of Franklin Chang Diaz resonated with me – “Failure is a requirement for success.” For me it was not so much about failure but more from a posture of not attaining what I thought would put me in a successful position towards a goal of thirty years of service with my former employer. To be defined by one’s work, makes it difficult to see that which has been placed in one’s path while continuing to pursue that which has already been attained – a successful career with a successful company! The failure I felt with each “No” leading up to my departure from Medtronic, was needed for success in what was to come.
Hard to believe that it is almost five years since I exited out the doors of my beloved company for the last time and within fifty-seven months, I have moved forward to flourish and have successes in a different and gratifying way. The wheels were churning about what was to be, but I didn’t know that the journey I was about to embark on would lead to successes, I most likely would not have experienced had I received the “Yes” I craved, in my quest to remain three more years in medical technology. Each ‘No” was driving me in a direction towards my next purposeful chapter in this journey called life.
Life presents many opportunities to get us to our purposeful place – destination – a calling that tug at your every being until clarity gives way to that which becomes effortless in living out your mission and purpose.
Every encounter, experience, situation, nagging feeling, encouragement or divine encounter led me to my purpose. Within eight months of leaving Medtronic, I launched my business, gave the commencement address at my alma-mater, was appointed to the Economic Development Authority for my hometown city, was re-appointed to the Board of Trustee at the American Swedish Institute, selected as a AHA 2021 Empowered to Serve Business Accelerator-MN Candidate, and One of Minnesota Monthly Magazine’s Private Chef, and continued to be an active member on several other boards.
So, what am I saying? Fabienne Frederickson states, “The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling.” And Stephen King shares… Be open to what could be. “…You can, You should, and if you’re brave enough to start, You will.”
Dine4Dinners launched Saturday, June 13, 2020! Yes, During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had my first customer, serving eight guests, with a total of 800 meals donated to Second Harvest Heartland.
I was inspired by the fact that I could use my talent of cooking and presentation of food to make the lives of others better for a day, a week, or a year through my dedication to combating hunger in collaboration with food organizations that have dependable, reliable, sustainable sources and resources to meet the needs of those suffering from food insecurity.
This journey was pre-set for me and became a reality through two major junctures in my life – the death of my husband and loss of my job.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
It’s very simple to leave a legacy of paying it forward for those in need. Making a difference in the community in which I live and the community at large through giving of my time, talent, and treasure. At Dine4Dinners® we are about nourishing body and soul, until all are fed because it takes a village.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dine4dinners.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosaicdelish/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlinesforkandcork
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carline-bengtsson-small-business-owner-6079755/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mosaicdelish
Image Credits
Carline Bengtsson