Some people live one remarkable life.
Paul Cullen has lived five.

From playing bass for the legendary rock band Bad Company, to becoming a celebrated Italian chef, to curating wine from family-rooted vineyards, to creating a nonprofit that transforms the futures of young chefs and musicians—Paul’s story is the very definition of a life crafted with purpose.

In this deeply personal episode of Your Impact Unleashed, host Kiki Angelos guides Paul through the story behind his artistry, his philanthropy, and the unexpected ways our passions can become our greatest tools for service.

A Spark That Started Late, but Burned Bright

Most people assume musicians begin young. Paul didn’t touch a guitar until he was 20. Before that, he was a star athlete—a point guard who understood teamwork, discipline, and reading the room long before he ever set foot on a stage. Those skills would become the scaffolding for everything that followed.

When Paul finally picked up an instrument, he was mentored by jazz guitarist Stacy Boyd, the man who changed the course of his life. Stacy didn’t just teach him to play. He taught him how to work—how to be committed, consistent, and humble enough to keep learning. Years later, when Paul performed for 10,000 people with Bad Company, Stacy was in the audience with tears in his eyes.

Mentorship had come full circle.

Years on the Road: Adventure, Exhaustion, and Everything In Between

Paul’s early music career didn’t look glamorous from the inside. Seven guys in a van, hauling equipment from Montana to Idaho to Alaska—playing gigs, skiing during the day, sleeping little, living fully.

What kept him going wasn’t fame. It was joy! The sheer love of playing. The magic of connection between musicians. The quiet belief that if he kept saying yes to the next opportunity, something extraordinary would happen.

And it did.

But even after Bad Company, life didn’t stop reinventing itself around Paul.

The Italian Heartbeat Behind His Culinary Path

Long before Paul ever sautéed garlic for a crowd, he learned the language of love through food. His grandmother—an Italian matriarch with a bottomless pot of sauce—taught him that feeding people was another form of generosity. His mother continued the tradition, and Paul carried it unknowingly until adulthood.

He traces his food awakening to Italy, where he saw nonnas begin cooking the moment guests walked in the door.
Hospitality wasn’t an act—it was a reflex.
A cultural heartbeat.

Years later, his mother mailed him index cards filled with recipes while he was touring in Alaska. He made Thanksgiving dinner for the entire band. It was an early glimpse of the chef he would one day become.

From Rock Concerts to Home Kitchens: The Signature Paul Experience

Paul didn’t plan to become a private chef. The idea was born the night guests at his own dinner party asked him to recreate the experience at their home—and bring his guitar.

One event turned into hundreds.
Hundreds turned into a brand.
And the brand turned into a venue: The Room at Cedar Grove, a listening room where he hosts artists, cooks unforgettable meals, pours his own wines, and brings people together through story and song.

Every detail is infused with intention—his grandmother’s recipes, his Italian heritage, his musician’s heart, his sommelier’s curiosity.

And people don’t just love his food.
They love the way he makes them feel.

Paul Kares: When a Life’s Work Becomes a Life of Service

But Paul’s impact reaches far beyond his business.

In 2020, after years of donating private dinners to charity auctions—raising over $200,000—Paul realized he could do more. He founded Paul Kares, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting young people in the culinary and musical arts.

Today, 100% of the profits from The Room at Cedar Grove go directly to the nonprofit. Every ticket, every meal, every glass of wine helps a student rise.

Paul Kares provides:

• Scholarships for culinary students
• Funding for travel opportunities, including sending students to Italy
• Equipment and resources for emerging musicians
• Strong ties to Delaware Tech and community partners

One of Paul’s proudest moments was sending a culinary student, Chef Alandre, to Italy with her class—a trip she could not afford without support.
Her life changed.
Her confidence changed.
Her trajectory changed.

“That’s the best part,” Paul says.
“When you can change someone’s path, even a little, that’s everything.”

The Thread That Runs Through Every Chapter: Hard Work, Heart, and Humanity

Paul describes his life as a constant fusion—music, food, wine, travel, community, philanthropy—each woven into the other like ingredients in the perfect dish.

His guiding principles?

Work hard. Stay curious. Build community. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Share your magic generously.

He laughs when asked how he cultivates that magic.
“When I figure it out, I’ll let you know,” he says.
But in truth, we see it clearly:

He shows up.
He keeps learning.
He keeps giving.
And the world keeps opening for him.

Why His Story Belongs at Defeat the Streets

Paul Cullen is not just a musician or chef or winemaker.
He is a blueprint for how to live a life of purposeful generosity—how to turn passions into service, how to turn gifts into opportunities, how to turn community into a culture of care.

His story reminds us:

Philanthropy isn’t about wealth.
It’s about presence.
It’s about sharing what you love.
It’s about helping someone find their own way because someone once helped you.

This is what Defeat the Streets stands for.
This is what Your Impact Unleashed celebrates.
And this is the kind of story that can change how we think about impact forever.