Designation Team Members

Michael grew up in cities across Orange County, using regional park trailheads and small public beaches to take refuge from well-manicured suburban living. He studied Public Affairs at UCLA, where he pursued a breadth of research, policy advocacy, and peer…

Madi grew up in the Bay Area and made her way down the coast to UC Santa Barbara for college. Her passion for food justice work was sparked while making sandwiches at the Isla Vista Food Cooperative. She realized the…

Ellen grew up in California’s central coast and graduated from the University of Puget Sound. She spent the next 20 years working as a Production Supervisor and Head of Production in the film industry producing hundreds of commercials. After her…

Angie was born and raised in the sunny city of Los Angeles. During her high school years, she
got involved in a community project that focused on giving low-income communities closer
access to healthier food. After assisting with two liquor stores’ makeovers into grocery stores
for the East LA community, she volunteered her summers at a nonprofit agency that dedicated
projects to the community like sharing healthy recipes to Hispanic families in a booth at
farmers markets. Years later, Angie found herself helping communities once again
when she became part of Food Forward. When she’s not working, you can find Angie writing
short stories on the comfiness of her favorite chair or spending time gardening with her daughter.

I was born February 21, in Juan Aldama Durango Mexico. Although I grew up in poverty, my parents managed to educate me by teaching me the importance of discipline, punctuality and responsibility. I was fortunate enough to have studied at…

Phoebe first discovered Food Forward and her interest in reducing food waste when she started volunteering for the Farmer’s Market Recovery Program in 2014. She furthered her interest in agriculture and sustainability when she studied Environmental Science at California Lutheran…

Kelsey is a native Ohioan who grew up in a family of avid gardeners and conservationists. After graduating college, she moved to Los Angeles and worked in the food service industry for several years. Seeing the amount of food waste…

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Janet is excited to contribute to Food Forward and its important mission.  She loves LIFE, PEOPLE, and FOOD!  Happy to be here.

Jodi moved to California with her parents and four siblings when she was two and was raised in the North San Fernando Valley. Not one to move far from what is comfortable, she graduated from CSUN with a degree in…