Karen Viva-Haynes, owner of Viva Tastings, is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef. After years of work as an artist and in the advertising world as a marketing/communications executive, she has put together the cumulative efforts of these careers to realize her entrepreneurial dreams. Her inspiration came from her own experience with the traditional appetizer/main course experience, where the initial bite is fabulous, the second bite is great, but by the third bite the flavors begin to deaden. The presentation of the food is fun and distinctive, the branding is clean and crisp and the food is delicious. In addition to her St. Lawrence Market presence, offering gourmet to-go specialty foods, Karen hosts 6 Degrees, an 'underground' dinner party series.