FOOD FUNDED

Charles Wade (he/him/his) serves as the Investment Director for Black Farmer Fund. He previously held senior roles at J.P. Morgan, Lehman Brothers, and Citigroup, where he originated, structured, and distributed a range of credit solutions for private equity firms, hedge funds, and asset managers.

Originally from New Paltz, NY, Charles enjoys animal husbandry, gardening, and backpacking, and he is passionate about leveraging his finance experience to support food entrepreneurs in their efforts to improve the health and sustainability of community food systems.

Charles holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BS from West Point.

Christine Rico is founder of CFO on Speeddial. She serves as CEO and leader of the company while also providing CFO services for impact-driven companies building solutions in food, climate and economic justice. Christine has worked on building profitable social impact companies for 38 years and has deep experience with CPG brands, as well as specializing in worker-owned cooperatives, and for-profit/ non-profit hybrid structures.

Christine is a former co-chair of Slow Money NYC, and through Slow Money NYC and as a member of Investors Circle has been active as an Impact Investor.

Christine sees mission as your competitive advantage and profitability as one key to scaling impact. A bike-commuting, fruit and vegetable grower who lives in Brooklyn.

After spending 20 years in fashion and luxury businesses, Claude chose to dedicate himself to his interests in food, the environment, social enterprise, and the arts. He has become an avid impact angel investor, particularly in businesses with a sustainable food and agriculture mission.

Claude is the Co-Chair of Slow Money NYC and a founding member of Foodshed Investors New York, which recently merged with Investors Circle. He also serves as Board President of International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), the nation’s pre-eminent contemporary music ensemble.

Hans Taparia is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Business and Society at NYU Stern School of Business. He teaches courses on social entrepreneurship, professional responsibility and marketing.

Hans is also an active investor in the health foods space. He serves on several boards, including the board of the Acumen Fund, one of the original pioneers in social impact investing.

Professor Taparia has spent most of his career as an entrepreneur. He co-founded and led one of America’s leading health food brands, Tasty Bite, which was then sold to Mars. He was also the co-founder of a management consulting firm and incubator, through which he co-founded Bangalore-based Tejas Networks, that is now part of the Tata Group.

Ivy Asamoah is the owner of Nourrir "Nourish" Drinks. As a South Bronx native Ivy's love for different cultures and cuisines has fueled her passion to create delicious beverages that represent her and the various cultures she's inspired by.

Through food Ivy hopes to foster a sustainable and equitable food system in the United States.

John Lawson is a Forager for the Northeast Region at Whole Foods Market, where he identifies, evaluates, and helps scale innovative food and beverage brands across one of the country’s most dynamic retail markets.

Working closely with emerging founders, established suppliers, distributors, and internal stakeholders, he connects exceptional products with opportunities for long-term growth.

Kobla Asamoah is a social impact professional with years of experience supporting entrepreneurs and the startup community. Kobla serves as Founder and Partner at Caminus Ventures, an accelerator program and investment fund targeting underrepresented entrepreneurs leading food, beverage and related businesses.

He also serves as an Adjunct Professor teaching Social Entrepreneurship to graduate students at NYU’s Stern School of Business as well as SVA’s Design for Social Innovation MFA program.

As Hot Bread Kitchen’s CEO, Leslie is overseeing execution of the organization’s three-year plan to support 1,000 breadwinners across New York City and expand its programs to all five boroughs.

Prior to joining Hot Bread Kitchen in January 2022, Leslie was Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Covenant House New York, the City’s largest organization dedicated to serving youth experiencing homelessness. From 2014 to 2017, Leslie was Chief Program Officer at Lantern Community Services, a leading nonprofit provider of supportive housing in New York City. From 2007 to 2014, Leslie held progressively senior positions at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS).

Leslie has served on numerous other boards and committees in the nonprofit and public sectors as well.

Mehek Khera is the Founder & CEO of Niramaya Foods. She has over 10 years of experience in Supply Chain & Retail and is passionate about building sustainable food systems by bringing her heritage and plant forward conveniences to American plates.

A first generation immigrant & Masters in Business Administration from University of North Carolina , Mehek has worked in Retail, Technology and Pharmaceutical companies over the last 12 years. She is also a nutrition coach and specializes in bringing plant forward accessible recipes to busy consumers.

Olivia Watkins (she/her) is Co-Founder and President of Black Farmer Fund, a community-governed investment fund supporting Black farmers and food businesses across the Northeast.

She serves on the Board of Directors of Amber Farmland Investments and is co-recipient of the 2023 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award. Olivia's work focuses on creating equitable access to capital and land for farmers and food businesses building regenerative food systems.

From bustling African markets to hurried North American crosswalks, the teenage arrival of brothers Mohammed and Rahim Diallo was rife with challenge but filled with opportunity. Despite being apart from each other in the United States and having a few run-ins with immigration — leading up to bouts of detention — the brothers nonetheless persevered.

While at Michigan State, Rahim studied and graduated with an Engineering Degree, later finishing  a post-graduate program in Germany. Moving back to the US, he started working in hospitality in New York.

After their long initial separation in the States, the brothers eventually reunited in New York City and decided to start work on something new — an African Ginger Drink.