MEET THE TEAM

  • Close-up portrait of a smiling woman with dark hair and red lipstick, wearing a dark shirt and a necklace.

    Rae Gomes

    Executive Director

    Founder & Principal, Cultivating Justice LLC • Co-founder, Central Brooklyn Food Cooperative • Urban Design Forum Fellow with a Food Equity focus • Member of Mayor’s transition team for food policy • Writer • Former Journalist

  • Gloria Alisyed-Lewis, a woman wearing glasses and a blue shirt, standing in front of an orange background with a yellow pattern of lines on it.

    Gloria Alisyed-Lewis

    Finance

    Founder & Principal, Financially Taught, LLC • Board Treasurer & Strategic Financial Advisor, East Harlem COAD • Former AVP, Financial Planning & Analysis, Seton Hall & Drew University • Certified Financial Therapist (Candidate 2026) • Empathic Financial Storyteller

  • Smiling man with a beard, and mustache wearing a blue and white checkered shirt against a solid blue background.

    David D. DeVaughn

    Strategy and Impact

    Founder & Managing Principal, StrivEquity Consulting • ICF ACC Leadership Coach • National Urban Fellow • MPA • Former Director of Inclusive Cities at HR&A Advisors • Former Director of Public Policy at City Harvest

  • A smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a rust-colored knitted sweater, standing against a light brown background.

    Monica Guzman

    Operations

    Operations • Executive Coaching • Executive Search consultant • Former Senior Manager of Search, Axis Talent Partners • Former Associate Director of People Operations & Program @ COOP Careers • Storyteller • Positive Patty • Dominican

  • A woman with curly hair, smiling, wearing a plaid shirt over a white shirt, standing against a blue background.

    Maya Vilaplana

    Community Engagement

    Community Engagement, East Harlem COAD • Former Associate Director, Economic Development Government Affairs,  Union Settlement • Former Associate Public Engagement, East Harlem Tutorial Program

COMMUNITY KITCHEN’S BOARD OF ADVISORS

  • Mark Bittman, black and white headshot

    Mark Bittman

    Founder, Community Kitchen
    Leading voice in food justice advocacy • Former New York Times columnist • Professor, Columbia/Mailman School of Public Health • Founder of The Bittman Project · Co-host of the Food with Mark Bittman podcast

  • A smiling man in a blue checkered shirt sitting at a table with a glass of red wine.

    José Andrés

    Founder, World Central Kitchen

  • Photo of Robert Egger, in a kitchen

    Robert Egger

    Founder, the DC Central Kitchen, the Campus Kitchen Project, and the L.A. Kitchen

  • A woman with short dark hair, wearing a cream-colored blouse in front of a plain white background.

    Kathleen Finlay

    Executive Director, Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming

  • Close-up of a woman with long dark wavy hair, wearing hoop earrings and a burgundy shirt, standing outdoors with blurred background.

    Saru Jayaraman

    Founder and Director, One Fair Wage

  • A woman with black hair and a colorful patterned jacket smiling while sitting at a wooden table in a kitchen. Her hands are clasped together, and she is in front of a background of kitchen shelves with various items.

    Kiki Louya

    Executive Director, Detroit Food Academy

  • A man with glasses in a suit and tie, standing in front of an American flag, with a dark blue background.

    Jim McGovern

    Representative, US Congress

  • Photo of Qiana Mickie in front of plants

    Qiana Mickie

    QJM Multiprise, Founding Principal

  • A smiling woman with curly gray hair sitting at an outdoor table surrounded by greenery and trees.

    Marion Nestle

    Founder and Professor Emerita, Department of Food Studies, NYU

  • Portrait of a smiling man with gray hair and a beard, wearing a gray blazer and white shirt, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with colorful books.

    Raj Patel

    Research Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas

  • A smiling middle-aged man with a shaved head, wearing a dark suit, pink shirt, and dark tie, against a plain white background.

    Ricardo Salvador

    Director, Food & Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black top, smiling against a white background.

    Clara Sieg

    Partner and Founding Member, Revolution Ventures

  • A woman with brown hair and blue eyes smiling, wearing a black blazer and large gold statement necklace, against a dark blue background.

    Mona Sinha

    Global Executive Director, Equality Now

  • A middle-aged woman with short, reddish-brown hair, smiling, wearing a teal turtleneck sweater, gold earrings, and a gold necklace.

    Anne-Marie Slaughter

    Founder and CEO, New America

  • A woman with blonde dreadlocks smiling while leaning against a wall

    Karen Washington

    Founder, Black Farmer Fund

  • A woman with short brown hair wearing a dark brown shirt and a multicolored plaid scarf, smiling with arms crossed, standing outdoors with green foliage and trees in the background.

    Alice Waters

    Founder, Chez Panisse