Meet the Team

  • 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

  • David D. DeVaughn

    Senior Advisor for 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

  • 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

  • Gloria Alisyed-Lewis

    Gloria Alisyed-Lewis

    Fractional Chief Financial Officer

    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

  • Monica Guzman

    Operations Coordinator

    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

  • Al Nguyen

    Assistant General Manager

    Long-time cook, gardener, educator, and food practitioner • Former program and cooking instructor and rooftop gardener at the Lower Eastside Girls Club

  • Miriam Ackerman McBride

    Interim Executive Director (parental leave operations support)

    Nonprofit Operations and Org Development • Founder, Unbrand consulting & coaching for justice • Former Chief Talent Officer, Center for Employment Opportunities • Former VP National Growth, Per Scholas • Eater • Plant Lover • Good Troublemaker

  • Mark Bittman

    Founder

    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

Community Kitchen's Board of Advisors

  • José Andrés

    Founder, World Central Kitchen

  • Alice Waters

    Founder, Chez Panisse

  • Karen Washington

    Founder, Black Farmer Fund

  • Raj Patel

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

  • Marion Nestle

    Founder and Professor Emerita, Department of Food Studies, NYU

  • Anne-Marie Slaughter

    Founder and CEO, New America

  • Saru Jayaraman

    Founder and Director, One Fair Wage

  • Ricardo Salvador

    Director, Food & Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists

  • Mona Sinha

    Global Executive Director, Equality Now

  • Kathleen Finlay

    Executive Director, Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming

  • Kiki Louya

    Executive Director, Detroit Food Academy

  • Jim McGovern

    Representative, US Congress

  • Clara Sieg

    Partner and Founding Member, Revolution Ventures