‘13 Culinary Food Science
Des Moines, IA

Samantha “Sammy” Mila ’13 is the 2026 recipient of the Outstanding Early Career Professional Award, which recognizes College of Health and Human Sciences alumni age 40 and younger whose achievements have distinguished them early in their careers. Originally from Des Moines, Mila was drawn to both science and food and found a natural fit in Iowa State’s culinary food science program.

“The obvious answer is that I was a George Washington Carver Scholastic Leadership Scholarship recipient in 2008, but aside from that, Iowa State is a 40-minute drive from my hometown of Des Moines. I also knew I wanted
to get into a major that was science-based, so with Iowa State being the ‘University of Science and Technology’ — all the signs pointed here!”

Mila credits Iowa State with helping her define a career path that blended her interests and expanded her understanding of the food industry.

“Iowa State helped me narrow my focus to the culinary side of science and opened me up to career opportunities I never knew existed,” she said.

After graduating, she worked as a culinary specialist and food scientist for Meredith Corporation, now Dotdash Meredith, developing and testing recipes for brands including Better Homes and Gardens and Food & Wine. She later entered the entrepreneurial side of the industry as co-founder and co-owner of Ramen Club, a Des Moines restaurant.

In 2022, she became owner of Crème, an established Des Moines bakery, where she expanded the menu with Asian-inspired offerings such as milk bread loaves while maintaining longtime customer favorites. Today, Crème’s creations feature in weddings, birthdays and other celebrations across central Iowa.

Her work has earned recognition through the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 40 Women to Watch Award, Emerging Leader Award, and selection to the Business Record 40 Under 40 class.

Beyond her professional achievements, Mila remains active in her community. As one of the youngest members of the Les Dames d’Escoffier Greater Des Moines Chapter, she supports efforts to advance women in food, beverage, and hospitality professions through leadership, education, and philanthropy. She also contributes to food insecurity initiatives, including community refrigerator programs. In 2025, the Iowa Homeless Youth Centers recognized her service with its Volunteer of the Year Award.

Reflecting on her career and what the award means to her, Mila said: “Since graduating from Iowa State, I spent over 10 years as a professional food stylist and culinary specialist and am now a small bakery owner in Des Moines. I wake up daily, feeling like I still have so much to learn. Receiving this award helped me put the bigger picture in perspective and reminded me that I am everything my younger self strived to be: resilient, empathetic, and graceful. If I told my younger self that at 32, I would own Des Moines’ [first] made-from-scratch, Asian-inspired bakery, I would laugh and brush it off, because I was certain that I was headed straight to Jelly Belly after graduation to create new jelly bean flavors! Now, the bakery is four years old, and our cakes have become a quintessential part of so many weddings and birthdays. Did I foresee this plot twist while I was in college? No, but I’m slowly learning that the journey is just as important as the destination — and thanks to my time at Iowa State, I got to choose my adventure.”