FOOD FUNDED

Co-Founder & President of ¡Ya Oaxaca!

Bay Area native with 18+ years experience building brands in the active lifestyle consumer segment.

A visionary entrepreneur at the forefront of sustainable food innovation. As the Founder and CEO at Oregon Seaweed, Chuck has pioneered the development of pacific dulse, a nutrient-rich seaweed, into a versatile protein source for both human and pet food markets. With a strong background in alternative proteins and sustainable agriculture, Chuck is dedicated to revolutionizing the food industry through innovative, eco-friendly solutions. Chuck’s work not only promotes healthier diets but also supports environmental conservation and sustainable practices.

A wild gal turned sober-curious, Fay Behbehani is an Iranian-Kuwaiti living in Los Angeles, and a beverage entrepreneur in both the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic space. As former head of marketing for a California-based brain tech company, she discovered her passion for bio-hacking and incremental gains for mind and body. After co-founding Uncle Ed’s Damn Good Vodka, Behbehani had an epiphany on a meditation retreat in Northern California that alcohol no longer served her, and that drinking culture needed a radical shift. Harnessing her breadth of experience, whilst indulging in her passion for all things beverage, wellness and plant medicine, she founded Bonbuz, setting out to revive the spirits industry and what it means to drink together and get buzzed in the modern age.

jocelyn ramirez is a chef, published cookbook author, new york times recipe contributor, CPG founder and advocate for healthy food access in her community. she founded todo verde, one of LA’s acclaimed plant-forward Latin food businesses, with a mission to create delicious and healthy plant-forward food inspired by her Latin roots. her work has been featured in several press outlets including new york times, los angeles times, food & wine, vice, smithsonian, bon appetit, and more. she currently sits on the culinary advisory board for food forward and the leadership board for the los angeles food policy council. 

Hella Dac Biet Foods specializes in Asian-influenced meals, offering fried rice burritos and culturally inspired dishes.

The Fancy Lunch Crew brand provides school meals that meet USDA nutrition standards while delivering bold, global flavors.

Our mission is to revolutionize the dessert experience, from an occasional guilty treat, to an everyday nutrient-dense indulgence.

Kelly Pan is the Co-Founder & CEO of Impact Food. She is a foodie turned entrepreneur on a mission to build a more sustainable and resilient food system. With a degree from UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business, Kelly has led multiple interdisciplinary teams and launched impact-driven projects, including a skincare brand and a pro-bono consulting organization for small businesses. Through Impact Food, Kelly envisions a future of food that can reliably feed a growing global population while keeping fish in the oceans.

Kyle is the CEO and co-founder of Wildway. Wildway is on a mission to build a food system that goes beyond sustainable, connecting climate health to human health through resilient, equitable, and regenerative business.

I founded Saba Grocers in 2019, tackling historic infrastructure barriers in the fresh food supply chain by delivering fresh, healthy produce to Oakland's low-resource neighborhoods where fresh food is scarce, and urgently needed. Saba eliminates market bias against small retailers, addressing nutrition and economic apartheid by partnering with immigrant Arab-American corner store owners, providing produce handling training, refrigerator cases and an e-commerce ordering platform for our produce. Our non-profit prioritizes sourcing from BIPOC CA farmers for cultural and culinary resonance.

Maryam Hariri is climate-change policymaker turned climate-adaptive winemaker. Azizam is a project of the soul. After 4 years of honing in on her craft at the premier natural winery in Mexico, Maryam launched her own winery to focus on climate-adaptive grapes and uniquely Mexican varietals, sourced from old vines, lost ranches and small-scale, sustainable farms.

Azizam’s energy stems from its authenticity, in vision and practice. Maryam brings together her ancient Persian heritage of winemaking with ancient production methods.

Food lover, learner! An immigrant who lived in 3 continents, working passionately to build our food brand with engineering background!

With a decade+ of experience in international climate change solutions and a Masters in Environmental Management from Yale University, Sachi is well aware of what we’re collectively up against. In seaweed, she found hope! She founded Rootless to help build a regenerative food system while empowering millions of women to reclaim their health during major hormonal transitions, including menopause, pregnancy, and beyond - all through seaweed.

MSc in Personalized Nutrition and Functional Medicine, growing up in food-focused Europe and Japan, Sakiko sees food as fundamental to both nourishment and joy. Inspired by nature and led by science, conducting intestinal health research and cell taste receptor analysis, Sakiko and team are building the brand that enables us all to enjoy honestly sugar-free, health-enhancing, and objectively delicious confectionery: NOMOSU.

Susan Hartman is an avid athlete who was in search of a clean label drink she could enjoy after yoga or a surf session to hydrate and recover.  With a background in natural products and innovation (Unilever, Campbell’s, eos) she combined purpose with passion to build a regenerative organic brand on a mission to help people feel better and live well through plant-powered modern remedies.  Susan has a BA from Gettysburg College and an MBA from Cornell University.

At Kaveri Coffee, we celebrate the art of coffee with heart. We specialize in crafting high-quality Indian coffee that tells a story. Kaveri Coffee is named for the river that feeds the traditional coffee growing regions of Southern India. Here coffee is grown in lush forests amongst fruits, flowers, and spices. The result is a robust, full-bodied coffee flavor that’s easy to love. Kaveri Coffee is owned by Tanya Rao, a female 3rd generation coffee roaster sourcing from India and roasting in Berkeley.

Tim Richards is the Founder, Owner, and CEO of Philosopher Foods since 2013. He combined his passions for food, health, philosophy, and activism into founding this regenerative CPG company.

Philosopher Foods® exists to promote the flourishing of all Life through delicious, nutritious, ethical, and ecological food products from regenerative agriculture. Know Thy Foods® is our mantra!

Our line of sprouted almond butters and dehydrated Gut Nuts™ fermented snack nuts are Regenerative Organic Certified® and Glyphosate Residue Free certified plant-based proteins.

Wynn Austin is the founder and CEO of Wynn’s Kitchen. An Asian natural foods brand founded in her own kitchen - inspiring both the brand name and her dedication to kitchen-quality ingredients. At the time, Wynn had a health issue that forced her to clean up her own diet by cutting out soy, gluten, sugar, artificial ingredients and preservatives. She discovered that it was impossible to find any Asian sauces that didn’t have those ingredients.Given her Vietnamese heritage and love for Asian food, it became a challenge for her to give up those flavors, until she decided to create a healthier version of her favorite Vietnamese sauce - the saté chili sauce.

She officially launched the company in 2019 and is on a mission to bring healthy Asian food products made with natural ingredients and free of sugar, soy, or gluten. Her products are delicious, convenient, and are a healthy twist on traditional flavors.