Carline A. Bengtsson is a chef, philanthropist, cookbook author, and the founder of Dine4Dinners, a company providing clients with a unique private gourmet dining experience that helps support charities working to combat food insecurity. An accomplished chef and the author of “Carline’s Fork and Cork: Simply Delish!” Ms. Bengtsson was inspired to launch Dine4Dinners in early 2020 after what she describes as an emotional “recognize point” that drove her to combine her passion for food and her extensive culinary training with her calling to help provide nutrition to those in need. She is proud to note that Dine4Dinners experiences, where Ms. Bengtsson visits a client’s home to cook a five-course meal with a portion of proceeds benefiting a food charity of the client’s choice, are currently booked out through the rest of the year, and she hopes to see further growth through 2022.
Prior to focusing on her culinary career, Ms. Bengtsson enjoyed nearly 20 years of success in the medical products industry. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and management from Concordia University and a Master of Business Administration in international marketing from the University of St. Thomas, with additional marketing coursework at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. She began her career in 1987 as a senior production control analyst for Honeywell before joining Medtronic in 1993 as a senior demand planning analyst.
In 2006, Ms. Bengtsson became a supply chain product launch manager for Medtronic, and from 2010 until 2013, she served as the company’s senior medical device reporting specialist. She transitioned to a compliance role with Medtronic in 2013, spending the next two years as a vigilance and compliance regulatory inquiries manager and remaining MDR vigilance manager until 2017. When she retired from the company in 2019, Ms. Bengtsson had been Medtronic’s people and program service quality manager for two years.
Ms. Bengtsson immigrated to the United States from Jamaica as a young child, and grew up to marry a Swedish immigrant, sparking a passion for Swedish culture and language, and a connection to the Minnesota community at large. She sits on the board of the American Swedish Institute, the East Side Arts Council, and the Minnesota Opera, and is a member of the President’s Advisory Circle at Concordia University, in addition to her work with numerous area cultural and charitable projects. Ms. Bengtsson and Dine4Dinners have been featured in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Minnesota Herald, and on several smaller local media outlets, and she has been honored for her work by the American Heart Association and Empowered to Serve as well. She emphasizes that everything happens for a reason and encourages others to pursue their dreams, adding that anything can be possible with belief and dedication.