HI, I’M JOY!
A PASSIONATE BAKER WITH OVER 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
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Food
Leaders Lab
Food Leaders Lab (FLL) is a 8-week course that provides training and coaching on food justice, systems change, and community health. Each FLL session explores food system dynamics and case studies from various social movements including anti-hunger and community food security, food sovereignty, and regenerative agriculture.
2026 Food Leaders Lab Cohort
Maria Leon
Dora Deras
Teresa de Jesus Roman
Claudia Mónica Sánchez
Alma Nava
Ligia Aguirre
Gabriela Jara
Virginia Rios
Sandra Escobar
Christian Castillo
Maribel Amaya
Angelica Rodriguez
Matilija Olvera
Lyna Vuong
Jocelyn Hernandez
Leticia Campos
Miguel Ceniceros
Marisol Avalos
Elizabeth Cervantes
Lauren Brazile
Ana Guzman
Cecilia Su'a
Ursula Hidalgo
Frida Larios
Sarah Vargas
Luis Mendiola Luna
Sonia Salgado
Ricardo Pajuelo
Maria T Ramirez Andrade
Maria Serafin
Esmeralda Salas
Berta Suarez
Consuelo Cambambia Guzman
Alicia Villafuerte
The Los Angeles Food Policy Council is working with local communities and organization representatives to further its mission to ensure food is healthy, affordable, fair, and sustainable for all! We are thrilled to be co-facilitating this year’s Food Leaders Lab along with our partners at BAILA Network and Vision Y Compromiso.
This 8-week program will be to inform and equip immigrant community members and immigrant-serving organizations to become food justice advocates. Following completion of the FLL program, graduates will be able to effectively engage with their elected representatives, assess community needs, and create systemic change in our food ecosystem. Our 2026 cohort will focus on building a vision for immigrant food justice in Los Angeles by exploring the intersection of safety net programs and immigrant accessibility while fostering a deeper understanding of LA County government structures.
El Consejo de Política Alimentaria de Los Ángeles (Los Angeles Food Policy Council) está colaborando con comunidades locales y representantes de organizaciones para seguir avanzando su misión de garantizar que los alimentos sean saludables, asequibles, justos y sostenibles para todas las personas!
Nos complace colaborar en la facilitación de la edición de este año de Food Leaders Lab junto con nuestros socios de BAILA Network y Visión y Compromiso.
Este programa de 8 semanas tiene como objetivo informar y capacitar a miembros de comunidades inmigrantes y organizaciones que sirven a personas inmigrantes para convertirse en defensores de la justicia alimentaria. Al finalizar el programa Food Leaders Lab, las personas graduadas estarán preparadas para participar de manera efectiva con sus representantes electos, evaluar las necesidades de sus comunidades y promover cambios sistémicos en nuestro sistema alimentario. La cohorte 2026 se enfocará en construir una visión de justicia alimentaria para las comunidades inmigrantes en Los Ángeles, explorando la intersección entre los programas de apoyo social y la accesibilidad para las personas inmigrantes, al mismo tiempo que fomenta una comprensión más profunda de las estructuras del gobierno del Condado de Los Ángeles.
Participants gain the knowledge needed to feel confident in their ability to discuss the history of our modern food system and the competing political interests that shape it; from understanding food movement lineages to the relevance of food systems organizing today. Additionally, participants grow in their ability to recommend policy, design community programs, and educate their respective communities and families.
Food Leaders Lab launched in 2019. Since then, we have graduated three cohorts. Our participants range from community members with no direct organizational affiliations to college students to staff from the following organizations: American Friends Services Committee - Roots For Peace Program, Brotherhood Crusade, LA CAN, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, Social Justice Learning Institute, Food Access LA (formerly SEE-LA), and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
2024 cohort
Julie Gonzalez
Jessica Vera
Ariana Contreras
Kevin Vazquez
Betty Doumas-Toto
April Williams
Teresa Flores
Bianca Molina
Javonne Sander
Anna Cho
Katherine Baker
Teresa Jasso
Nisha Bansal
Tiffany Li
Zaakiyah Brisker
Gabriela Cortes
Lucy Haro
Jonnie Tibbetts
Lindsay De May
Britany Lucas
April Foster
Melissa Gallardo
Kelly Alarcon
Tracy Luu
Mackenzie Bolger
Edgar Romo
April Cerrato
Hillary Cohen
Sam Kang
MicheLle Mata
Michelle Montenegro
2021 Cohort
Michelle Gunn
Mariana Huerta
Mariælena "Mea" Montañez
Jacqueline Diaz
Rachel Porter
Ebony Bates
Espirt Smith
Leslie Campos
Natalie Marshall
Marlene Vega
Angela Zhang
Stephanie Alcala
Heliya Izadpanah
Jessica Hernandez
Meghan Nealon
Amy Balto
Jacqueline Johnson
Terence Latimer
Nina Takenouchi
Guillermo Aranda
Nina Angelo
Melissa Acedera
Osunkoya Chavon Bryant
Gustavo Lopez
2020 cohort
Kriss'shon Day
Marlen Hernandez
Linda Leigh
Harmony Esqueda
LaNeisha Hodo
Janet Valenzuela
Raiai M. Lee
Fortina Hernandez
Gilda Sion
Magdalena Pelayo
Leslie Guardado
Dayveon White
Charmaine Mancil
Joe Ward-Wallace
Reina Flores
2019 cohort
Ashley Loville
Todd Cunningham
Ray Lewis
Blanca Lucio
Brenda Verano
Maria Sanchez
Wendy Chen-Epstein
Toya Regan
Guadalupe Zapata
Luis Yepiz
Samantha Salmon
Claudia Morales
Blanca Gonzalez
We reside, work, and cultivate food
on unceded Indigenous homelands.
We acknowledge and honor the descendants of the Tongva, Kizh, and Gabrieleño peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands). We pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.
As part of a greater foodshed, we would also like to pay respect to and honor the Chumash, Tataviam, Serrano, Kitanemuk, ʔíviĨuqaletem, Acjachemen, Payómkawichum, and any other tribal group possibly not mentioned. As a Food Policy Council for Los Angeles we recognize this land acknowledgment is limited and engagement is an ongoing process of learning and accountability. To learn more about these First Nations, visit here.