I was born and raised on the east coast–with a few years in Colorado. I became really active in community organizing in college, ultimately organizing for an environmental justice law firm. Through that experience, I came into the world of food systems–from farm to fork and everything in between.

I have worked in farming for several seasons, led institutional procurement efforts for local schools and governments, created economic development programming for farmers and food businesses, and led campaigns and coalitions for local and state-level policy change. Most recently, I worked for a local public health department, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic changes to improve the regional food system in Colorado.

I recently completed my Master’s in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, where I had the privilege of serving as a Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow and working with the Global Food Ethics and Policy Project. Prior to that, I obtained my Master’s in bioethics, as well as my Bachelor’s in psychology and environmental studies from New York University.

My role at VNL is as Senior Project Manager, coordinating a diverse group of network leaders across VNL’s PARTNER platform. I am so excited to work across communities to identify collaborative opportunities to leverage social supports and health systems. I see so many interconnections across systems I have worked in and studied to those that I will be supporting at VNL. I am also eager to bring my expertise across food systems to bridge opportunities for network-informed change.

I have been so fortunate to benefit from truly incredible individuals and communities across my own networks throughout my life. On a professional level, I have had amazing leaders and team members support me in following my passions, leading with equity to work toward long-term, systemic change, and to ensure I am both advocating for others as I advocate for myself.

On a core values level, I have long valued the words and guidance of both Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. Peter Singer. As a child, Dr. Goodall’s nontraditional path and unwavering drive to work with animals inspired my own passion and deep connection to animals. Dr. Singer’s novel Animal Liberation opened up a world of understanding for me, coming from a bit of an isolated place growing up in my values toward non-human animals. His work in effective altruism further solidified my strong desire to “do the most good,” so to speak throughout my personal and professional life. And I was fortunate enough to cross paths with each of them during my time at NYU.

Lastly, my three-year old nephew inspires me each and every day to stay curious and to continue to work toward a healthier, more equitable world for the next generation.

Where is your favorite place to visit on vacation?