Adriana Botic
Damien Thompson
Daniel Stange
Fatuma Emmad
Mayra Olivas
Meg Caley
Paula Thomas
Paula is and experienced food professional and educator turned food anthropologist. As founder and lead educator of The Ecological Kitchen, she explores the intersection of food, culture, environment through hands-on workshops and didactic food events. Paula is an alumna of the MAD Academy Environment & Sustainability program in Copenhagen, and 2022 James Beard Foundation Legacy Network Advisor cohort.
Meredith Slater
Meredith Slater is the Director of Development for ActionAid USA, an international network building a just, equitable, and sustainable world in solidarity with communities on the frontlines of poverty and injustice. Meredith holds a Master’s degree in Food Studies from NYU, and is an enthusiastic backyard beekeeper and gardener.
Yuridia Bahena
Holly Adinoff
With a master’s in counseling and years of experience in the nonprofit world, opening and operating a restaurant was nowhere on Holly’s radar. Over the years, Holly has become an integral part of the TBD Foods family. Holly is the lead event planner TBD Foods and is the General Manager for Sullivan Scrap Kitchen.
Holly has supported changing the local landscape of sustainability as a member of Good Business Colorado’s Climate Change Task Force and the Waste No More Task Force. She is looking forward to starting her new role as a member of Denver’s Sustainability Food Policy Council and sharing the knowledge she gained from attending MAD Academy in Copenhagen with her community.
Heidi Fritz
Heidi Fritz is a public health dietitian with over 20 years of experience in health promotion and nutrition security programs, as well as managing initiatives supporting organizational and public policy change to increase access to healthy foods and beverages. She is currently focused on supporting food service transformation projects at the intersection of nutrition, inclusivity, and planetary health in her role as Healthcare Program Director with Greener By Default. Heidi enjoys growing and cooking with fresh local vegetables and other plant-based foods.
Paige Johnson
Paige Johnson holds a master’s in urban and regional planning and has years of experience working in the public sector implementing sustainable local policies and programs. She entered into planning after spending years in the biomedical and health sectors, where she began seeing the impact of local policies on community health outcomes and disparities. She currently serves as Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Edgewater, where she is focused on building regional partnerships and crafting local policies and programs that advance climate adaptation goals and build sustainable local systems.
Kevin Oster
Kevin is the farm manager at Ekar Farm, a two-acre nonprofit farm in Denver. While working on a Masters in Sustainability in 2020, he felt a call to the land. He has since served as the harvest manager for a 20-acre farm in Longmont and the Program Director for a nonprofit Farmer Development & Support program in Jefferson County. He is now proud to grow food for an organization that provides its entire harvest to local food access organizations across the city. He is committed to uplifting the laborers who work hard every day to provide food to people’s plates.
Maya McDowell
Thai Nguyen
Thai Nguyen, the dedicated Founder and Executive Director of Kaizen Food Share, a BIPOC community-led non-profit organization making a meaningful impact in Colorado. With leveraging over 20 years of experience in business: marketing and design, Thai brings a wealth of expertise to the table. As a former refugee, Thai's commitment to food justice is both inspiring and heartwarming. She is actively tackling nutrition and food inequality in her community, serving on various committees and community boards. In a world where food apartheid persists, Thai is a driving force for positive change, working tirelessly to make sure everyone has access to food autonomy.