FOOD FUNDED

Andrea has over 8 years in the financial services industry. She graduated with a Master’s in Business Analytics from NYU.

She felt frustrated with the lack of transparency from the RTD industry and started experimenting in her kitchen until Chixa was born.

Carlos Santos is proudly a Colombian immigrant who was the youngest ever CVO (Chief Vacuuming Officer) while at his post working with his single mom cleaning houses. Though a finance major Carlos grew up in the hospitality industry, leading his family restaurant from 60k to 600k and a NYT 4/5 rating with in his first year and launching Nadas during pandemic from pop up to multiple brick and mortar locations as well as a foodservice provider to major venues. In CPG, Carlos was chosen as the top founder during Target's Forward Found Accelerator.

Christine Rico is a social entrepreneur, growth strategist and financial consultant to growth phase businesses with a social impact mission. Her company, CFO on Speed Dial, helps food companies improve profits while they innovate with flavor, sourcing and creating a more sustainable food system.

Christine is also mentor in New York City’s WENYC program (women’s entrepreneurship NYC) and was a 2015 Agent of Change at the Centre for Social Innovation. Christine is a bike-commuting, fruit and vegetable grower who lives in Brooklyn.

Danielle Davenport is a co-founder of BEM | books & more, as well as an actor and writer with a range of film, TV, and theater credits. She has recently served on the Brooklyn Book Festival Nonfiction Committee and Center for Fiction First Novel Fête Committee and was named to Cherry Bombe’s Future of Food 50 List.

Gabrielle Davenport is an Oakland-raised, Brooklyn-based bookseller and curator whose work centers on forging community through music and food. She worked on The Mile-Long Opera, bringing 1,000 opera singers to the High Line, produced projects with Carrie Mae Weems and Angélique Kidjo, and was on the curatorial team at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival for several years.

Jesal Trivedi is an Indian-American serial entrepreneur, storyteller, and product leader passionate about building at the intersection of wellness, technology, and culture.

With 15 years of experience from startups to Fortune 100s including Ford Motor Company, American Express, and Nike, Jesal combines strategic rigor with creative vision. He previously founded Aduri, a venture-backed wellness technology company.

At Khalo, Jesal leads the brand’s digital and direct-to-consumer platform, reimagining “food as medicine” for modern kitchens. Drawing from eight generations of healers and custodians of three of the original Vedas—the ancient texts that gave rise to Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation—Jesal’s work bridges legacy and innovation.

John Lawson is the Forager for Local & Emerging Brands at Whole Foods Market in the Northeast Region.  John is proud of his role in supporting diverse brands & entrepreneurs, as well as working with suppliers of all sizes building partnership with Whole Foods Market.  He is particularly focused on product development & developing strategy for marketing, promotion, & growth.  John has worked in different roles at Whole Foods Market for  20 years.

Jomaree Pinkard brings 15 years of experience scaling startup businesses, spanning multi-channel expansion, market analysis, and strategic business planning. Most recently, Pinkard led Diageo's $200M Venture Impact Fund, Pronghorn as CEO and Managing Director, where he spearheaded the company’s overarching mission of diversifying the spirits industry.

Before Pronghorn, Pinkard spent a decade as the Co-Founder, CEO, and now Chairman of Hella Cocktail Co., a minority-owned craft beverage company, forging impactful partnerships with major brands such as TGI Fridays, Disney, Delta Airlines.

Pinkard was on the Specialty Food Association Board of Directors, and is a founding member of :INCLUDED CPG, a nonprofit supporting 700+ diverse founders across the consumer products industry.

Kamaal Jarrett is the founder and CEO of Hillside Harvest, a Caribbean-inspired sauce and condiment company, celebrated for its vibrant flavors and commitment to culinary excellence.

Before founding Hillside Harvest, Kamaal honed his skills in product management and finance at industry-leading companies such as Keurig Dr Pepper, Olympus America and NEPC. His expertise spans consumer research, product development, go-to-market strategies, and cross-functional leadership.

Kamaal holds an MBA from Babson College. Passionate about celebrating Caribbean culture through food, Kamaal strives to inspire culinary exploration and enrich the world’s appreciation of Caribbean offerings.

Karen Hiniker Simons creates innovative financial solutions for regional food systems and regenerative agriculture. As Principal of Hudson Varick Resources Ltd., which she founded in 2010, Karen has spent over two decades advancing place-based strategies that center people, planet, and long-term prosperity. Her work is grounded in the belief that healthy regional food systems are essential to thriving communities.

Karen brings a unique blend of experience across philanthropy, finance, and grassroots innovation. During her 15-year tenure leading the WellMet Group, she directed grants to emerging nonprofits addressing systemic challenges through community-led solutions. 

Klaas Martens is a Family farmer. Mary-Howell and I started out as conventional farmers and transitioned to certified organic beginning in 1992. We work closely with Cornell University scientists to study organic farming systems and to develop improved organic farming practices.

I am a former board member of the Organic Farming Research Foundation, the Farm Foundation and the Soil Health Institute. I'm and advisor to the Cornell University farming systems research project.  Mary-Howell and I have written many published articles about organic farming and I am a frequent speaker on organic farming nationally and internationally.

LaRon Batchelor is the cofounder / CEO of Passport Food & Beverages, where he drives strategic marketing, events, and partnerships for CPG brands and restaurant owners. As a general partner at Caminus Ventures, he invests in and mentors emerging brands, fueling growth and innovation in the food and beverage sector. LaRon also serves on the board of Naturally New York, where he supports the advancement of local, sustainable businesses in the natural products industry. Known for his collaborative approach and industry expertise, LaRon is dedicated to empowering founders and fostering vibrant brand ecosystems.

Nikisha Bailey is a community-driven entrepreneur, entertainment executive, and philanthropist dedicated to building systems of impact and change. She is the owner of Win Win Coffee, Philadelphia’s first Black woman-led coffee roaster and distributor focusing of amplifying coffee and producers of the African diaspora.

Win Win’s sourcing platform, Vianexta, was named a Top Product of 2024 by Technical.ly, and recognized as one of Philadelphia’s Top 25 Startups to Watch in 2025. Win Win was also handpicked by Goldman Sachs as a featured vendor at its 10KSB National Summit. The company’s growing list of partners includes PUMA, PayPal, FedEx, Black Girl Ventures, The University of Pennsylvania, and Oatly.

Before launching Win Win, Nikisha spent over a decade in the music industry, serving as VP/Head of A&R at Atlantic Records. She has been named a Billboard Magazine Power Player and featured on Forbes’ Next 1000 list.

Mr. Demby has over 30 years of professional experience in Strategy, Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Finance. He has worked for renowned firms such as IBM, Westinghouse, General Motors, J.P. Morgan, and Accenture.
He is a champion of small businesses. Throughout his career, he has personally trained over 15,000 business owners. He has served in Director-Level roles for the Queens EDC and CAMBA EDC, where he led the efforts of their small business development programs and CDFI Loan Fund. He leads the marketing efforts of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative and is an entrepreneur where he is the Founder of the Queens and New York Startup Business Plan Competitions.
Mr. Demby is a media personality, having served as the former host of Brooklyn Community Access Television’s Sector B and the MC of the television series World's Greatest Motivators.

Rodrigo Vargas is an entrepreneur, food innovator, and the Founder & CEO of American Vinegar Works. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia Business School, he spent over 15 years leading product development and customer strategy for global brands like American Express and Asurion. The challenges of a food system focused on industrial efficiency at the expense of quality became the foundation for his commitment to reviving traditional American foodways.

He is now tackling the forgotten corner of the American pantry. Today, from a historic mill in New England, he runs a nationally recognized brand with a straightforward mission: to craft exceptional, flavorful vinegars and prove that some things are still worth the wait.

Sarah Young is a Principal on the Social Impact Funds, an American Heart Association Ventures’ fund, where she channels her dedication to creating meaningful social change through strategic investments in equitable health solutions. Sarah leads investments that address critical health disparities and the social drivers of health in underserved communities.

Prior to her investment career, Sarah spent 7+ years in early-stage, venture-backed tech startups. Sarah is involved in All Raise, the leading organization for women in VC. She is a member of the Associate Board for The Bowery Mission in NYC. Sarah holds an MPA in Social Impact Investment from New York University and a BA in Rhetoric & Public Advocacy from Indiana University Bloomington."

Savannah D’Orazio (she/her) serves as Impact Investment Associate at Black Farmer Fund. She assists on the investment committee with the development of BFF’s integrated capital strategy. Her expertise lies in vetting prospective investments and performing financial due diligence.
Previously, Savannah worked with various investment funds. She has also worked within experiential education settings teaching gardening to elementary schoolers at the New York Botanical Gardens and has worked on farm to table procurement for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Savannah has a BA from Occidental College in Biology, and an MA from Teachers College at Columbia University.
Her personal goal is to reach more people than McDonald's, especially as it relates to positive impact for women’s health, climate resilience, and opportunities for low income youth. Savannah loves standup comedy, home cooking and gardening.

Sean is a Senior Business Development officer on the Innovative Investment team at LISC where he is responsible for sourcing and structuring loans as well as program fundraising. Sean brings over 10 years of experience in financial analysis, small business credit, and entrepreneurship to the table, along with a deep passion for food systems.

Based in the Catskills, Sean enjoys the outdoors, supporting local farmers and producers, and can be found working the line at Brushland Eating House on most weekend evenings.

Togue Brawn grew up on the coast of Maine idolizing her fisherman father, studying the natural wonders of the world around her, and believing wholeheartedly that anything could be achieved with enough hard work and dedication.

After achieving a bachelor’s degree in geology from Duke University and a masters in Marine Policy from the University of Maine, she embarked on a career related to commercial fishing industry. After spearheading revolutionary changes to the way Maine manages its scallop fishery, she left state government to start Downeast Dayboat, where she seeks to differentiate Maine’s ultra premium dayboat scallops.

Togue, once described as a “one woman powerhouse of scallop enthusiasm” lives in Bath, Maine with her dog Waylon.

Wangene Hall is a Columbia MBA and experienced operator with a track record of success in consumer startups and multinational companies. She has spearheaded global brand campaigns and strategic partnerships at Beats by Dre, Pacific Foods, and SXSW.

In her current role, she leads strategic growth initiatives in her family's firm, Global Village Foods. Outside of work, she is dedicated to supporting women in entrepreneurship and serves on the board of Sodexo Vermont First.