Alumni Spotlight: Alexis (Sinclair) Harrison, Food Media Entrepreneur & Cookbook Author

Andover High School 2012 graduate Alexis (Lexi) Harrison (formerly Alexis Sinclair) has built a thriving career doing what she loves: creating beautiful, inspiring food content alongside her mother and business partner, Beth Sinclair. Today, Harrison is CEO and Co-Founder of Crowded Kitchen, a food brand with over 6 million social media followers and 1 million monthly blog readers. Their new cookbook, Crowded Kitchen, is available in bookstores and online. 

The Unexpected Path

Harrison never anticipated that a simple passion project would turn into a full-time family business. “Going into college I thought I’d major in something science-related and maybe become a doctor… but that did not work out,” she shared with a chuckle. Instead, Harrison discovered a love of English literature at Amherst College in Massachusetts, where she also ran on the cross-country and track teams.

Harrison began Crowded Kitchen as a fun and creative outlet during her junior year of college. After graduation, she worked at a food media startup in New York, but eventually moved back to Michigan and started devoting more time to Crowded Kitchen. The brand has since exploded in popularity and become a full-time family business, with Sinclair leading recipe development and Harrison bringing them to life with styling and photography.

Impactful Experiences While at Bloomfield Hills Schools

Two teachers stand out to Harrison as having shaped her academic trajectory. “My absolute favorite teacher at Andover was Ms. Feigenson, who taught English classes. She was intense, and I had to work hard. Once I realized that I wanted to major in English, I realized how much she influenced me.” Harrison also loved history classes with Mr. Cameron, sharing that all of his classes were both challenging and fun.

Harrison’s time at Bloomfield Hills Middle School also sparked a love for running, when she joined the cross-country team in grade 6. “I’m still running,” she shared. “That’s been a big part of my life since middle school.” 

Advice for High Schoolers and Young Adults

“My advice is just not to stress too much if you don’t have an exact plan for what you want to do,” Harrison said. “Throughout college I loved my major and I loved English but I didn’t have a career path planned out. I just went with it, and it's worked out really well."