Debra "Debbi" J. Fields has more than 18 years of entrepreneurial, operational, and managerial experience, all of it earned in a company she built (literally) from scratch.

Debbi Fields' success epitomizes the American Dream. From America's most cherished tradition of humble beginnings, she launched what has become one of the nation's most visible, successful international dessert empires.

She is one of the first innovators and entrepreneurs to see their name becoming a product brand symbol of quality known and revered throughout the world. Few dream achievers (Ford, Edison, Bell among them) live to enjoy this kind of eponymous accomplishment.

Founder and former chairman, she currently consults for Mrs. Fields Cookies, a $100 million company she founded in 1977, and is the market leader among fresh-baked cookie stores.

Mrs. Fields began her entrepreneurial career at age 20, when without any business experience, she managed to do what most people considered impossible-convince a bank to finance a business concept that has never before been proven and that appeared on the surface to have little likelihood of success. Mrs. Fields, with infinite faith in her product, wanted to open a chocolate chip cookie bake shop and store. On August 16, 1977, Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery opened its doors to the public in Palo Alto, California. Nineteen years later, Debbi Fields' role had expanded from managing one shop to supervising operations, brand name management, public relations and product development of her company's 600+ company-owned and franchise stores around the United States and six foreign nations.

Debbi Fields' personal values have translated well into her role as a businesswoman. Her philosophy of excellence, stated in her motto, "Good enough never is," is mirrored by the company, which has built its reputation on providing the best product quality and superior customer service.

Debbi Fields' business accomplishments and capabilities are not limited to the management of Mrs. Fields Inc. She is the author of two cookbooks published by Time-Life. The first 100 Recipes from the Kitchen of Debbi Fields has sold more than 1.5 million copies and was the first cookbook to top The New York Times best seller list. The second, I Love Chocolate! cookbook, published in 1994, has enjoyed tremendous success as well. She also is host of The Dessert Show, a daily program airing on cable television's TVFN, where she provides step-by-step instructions for some of her favorite recipes. She launched a new book and TV series, Great American Desserts, in 1996.