MEET OUR 2020 FACILITATORS
We’re very proud to introduce you to our 2020 Facilitator Cohort! Each of these wonderful humans went through our inaugural Facilitating Stories for Impact training, and also completed an Advanced Training with the founder of RFRS, Pei-Ru Ko.
ANDREA LEVY (she/hers)
Andrea comes from a background in sustainability, environmental education, and a passion for cooking. She is the Culinary Program Director at Sprouts Cooking Club where she is responsible for planning, coordinating, and even teaching culinary classes and camps. With a master's in sustainability, she is a strong advocate for local food economies. In the past few years, she also spent time working abroad to promote these topics by teaching environmental protection in Guatemala, as well as getting her hands dirty at farms and with a small composting company. Such experiences have all strengthened Andrea's passion for just food systems and cooking.
Andrea strongly believes that by cultivating stronger relationships with our food and through stronger communities we can unite to alter the food system and bring about positive environmental and social change.
Memory Food - farm to table barbecue jackfruit experience
ANDREA LEVY
AMIE LAM (she/hers)
Amie secretly wonders what makes people come alive and has spent most of her life on a quest for stories and human connection. From a young age, she recognized the importance of joy and nourishment to her own health and healing, and since then, has devoted her time in creating spaces for others and herself to embody joy and reconnect with themselves and each other within the world of food and dance. As a dancer, creative, and deep thinker, she believes life is made up of the texture (moments) in our daily lives and moves in a way for her life and her offerings to embody that.
AMIE LAM
AVE LAMBERT (they/them)
Ave knows that the food and stories we share can change us. They have experienced how growing and cooking around the world transforms lives and communities, and the way we treat each other. With proximity to others, we can understand and have compassion for their experience. As a chef, farmer, activist and educator Ave has worked for social justice in the food system teaching job skills to those on the streets and palate education to our youth. Understanding the intersectionality of our food experiences will allow us to solve our collective problems. It still is a delicious revolution!
Memory Food: Grandma's homegrown white corn, green chili, and Monterrey jack cheese tamales
AVE LAMBERT
CHANDRA SIMON RITVO (she/hers)
Chandra is a filmmaker who has spent the last 20 years bringing personal stories to light for audiences worldwide through her work in feature films, television, and video. Her passion for working at the intersection of food, sustainability, and health has led her on an unusual path: filming aid workers in Africa and sugarcane cutters in Brazil, teaching food policy at Yale, running an environmental film festival, and getting her hands dirty as a farmhand. In 2011, with support from the Audubon Society, she started Cultivate Films to share the stories of American farmers through short films. Her greatest food achievement to date is finding clever ways to sneak vegetables into her kids’ meals.
CHANDRA SIMON RITVO
JACK ROGERS (he/him)
Jack’s love of food and the food system was fostered at an early age. He grew up shopping at farmer’s markets and specialty stores with his mom and in the kitchen cooking meals with his parents. Through Real Food Real Stories, he has developed a passion for storytelling, in particular, its power to create community and connect our food system.
Jack strongly believes in working to make the world a better place. He currently manifests this value as Product Manager at the tech nonprofit Replate. Replate reduces food waste and food insecurity by picking up surplus food from businesses and delivering it straight to nonprofit organizations that feed people experiencing food insecurity. He emphasizes the power of empathy to understand the problems people face and how to fix them.
In his free time, he can be found backpacking, cooking, eating with friends, listening to live music or working out.
JACK ROGERS
JAMIE LI (she/hers)
Jamie is a marketer in San Francisco's dynamic restaurant and technology scene. She has a background in operations, content production, and branding. She loves cooking, creative writing, and is delving into the world of food photography. Her interests dovetail nicely with the Real Food Real Stories mission so becoming a facilitator was just the natural next step. Not to mention Jamie loves a good story. She's honored for the opportunity to apply her skills and passions to bring forth stories that forge connections over food.
Memory Food: mom's 粽子 (zòngzi)
JAMIE LI
SADIE SCHEFFER (she/hers)
Sadie is an MIT-dropout, an artist, and an accidental baker with a business called Bread SRSLY. When she is not making gluten-free sourdough bread with her employees, you'll find her listening to any stories she can get her hands on. She is inspired by the unique and safe space that is Real Food Real Stories, which allows people to show up and be seen.
Memory Food: Bill Nye the Science Pie
SADIE SCHEFFER