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 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.

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 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.

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 is a social entrepreneur and impact investor. For the past seven years, she has financed, developed, and operated environmental and social projects across the US. She currently serves as a co-founder and President of Black Farmer Fund, a non-profit impact investing organization creating sustainable and equitable food systems by investing in black farmers and food businesses of NY. She also serves on the board for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders and Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT.

Olivia has an MBA from North Carolina State University in Financial Management, and a BA from Barnard College, Columbia University in Environmental Biology. She was also recognized on the 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 Social Impact list and as the 2023 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year.

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.