Bibby Gignilliat, Founder & CEO

Bibby Gignilliat, a corporate convert, transformed a career in marketing at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. into an enormously satisfying career in professional cooking. She launched her formal training at Tante Marie's Cooking School in San Francisco. Bibby has taught cooking classes at HomeChef® and at Tante Marie's and currently teaches at Sur La Table, Ramekins and Draeger’s cooking schools. Bibby's experience in the professional kitchen includes hands-on training at Insalata's and Kokkari. She was the sous-chef to Joanne Weir for a national promotional tour sponsored by Calphalon cookware.

Bibby was a production assistant and food stylist for “Jacques Pepin Celebrates,” with Jacques Pepin, the national PBS series “Weir Cooking in the Wine Country,” featuring Joanne Weir and "Bay Cafe" with Chef Joey Altman. She has appeared on the Today Show, the Food Network, CNBC, in The New York Times, Daily Candy, Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Light, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Business 2.0 Magazines.  In 1999, Bibby founded Gourmet Gatherings®, which later became Parties That Cook.

Parties That Cook stages deliciously fun hands-on cooking class parties and corporate team-building events. Bibby authored the Sumptuous Small Plates: 30 Recipes for Deliciously Fun Entertaining cookbook. She is the culinary expert for Kenmore on the Make it Simple team and provides content, recipes and videos for their site. She was named 2008 Small Business Owner of the Year by San Francisco's Small Business Network (SBN), was awarded the 2009 NAWBO Rising Star Award, and was named Woman-Owned Business of 2009 in San Francisco by the Women's Initiative for Self Employment.