Clyde Jiles
I was born into the business, and have been exposed to the dynamic effect the Defender has had on the Houston Black community since I was a little boy. I received my BA in Finance from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. Later I pursued a career in food as and trained to become a professional chef at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. I had a deep need to continue my education in food so I went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to study Modern and Classical Pastry. After graduating I returned to Houston and began a career in food and eventually became an Executive pastry chef at a local café/ patisserie. Covid caused the shop to close and the opportunity to work in the family business (the Defender) presented itself. Once I joined the team it was a natural fit. I have worked as a paperboy, secretary, distribution team member, virtual event producer, video producer, social media manager, sales, and several other roles. In working in those various capacities within the Defender I was able to see how this company truly cares about the people and community we serve.
