Meet Our Team

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Christopher is an Finance & Administration Specialist with Fresh Approach. In this role, he organizes and assists the team, providing both input and a helping hand to several ongoing projects, including; tracking fundraising, the match program’s impact, and finances. He also ensures that those projects are up to date and accurate. A big believer in the “love will save the world” narrative, Christopher supports equality and compassion. Before joining Fresh Approach in 2018, Christopher worked for a diverse range of organizations, including a small bookstore, a public ceramics studio and a large corporate retailer. Christopher looks forward to his latest venture and is excited to make a real, lasting impact in the company and community.

Christopher St. Pierre
(he/him/they/them)

Finance & Administration Specialist

Laura has been with Fresh Approach since 2013, starting with the organization as the Nutrition Education & Outreach Program Manager, when Fresh Approach had just one part-time and three full-time employees and two or three seasonal summer employees. Laura became the organization’s first Program Director in 2017 and stepped into the Executive Director role at the beginning of 2020. In her tenure, Laura has grown the organization from a small team serving five SF Bay Area counties to a team of more than 20 full-time members. Laura has established strong partnerships with local government offices and community-based organizations to collaborate on projects that improve community food access, nutrition, and food sovereignty – empowering other local organizations to promote the connection to local farmers and support local food systems in their programming. Laura has a strong passion and commitment to building equitable communities where everyone is able to thrive.

Laura deTar
(she/her/they/them)

Executive Director

Matt joined Fresh Approach as the Finance Manager in 2023. Over the past 20 years Matt has worked with over 50 nonprofits in a consulting capacity. He has a degree in both Accounting and Finance and holds various nonprofit accounting certificates. Matt is the founder of his own nonprofit specializing in inline sports for both youth and adults. Matt has a passion for sports and friendly competition and believes in the community power and personal development that sports offer our younger generation. In his spare time Matt enjoys playing hockey and eating good food.

Matt Herzog
(he/him)

Finance Manager

Communications & Development

Elias brings a strong sense of curiosity and collaborative spirit to his work as a Development Specialist with Fresh Approach, where he helps with various fundraising projects, cultivates partnerships through coalition-based advocacy work, and explores ways to improve data collection and impact communication. He loves the holistic approach that Fresh Approach brings to all its programs, as it reflects the interdependence that links all of us to each other and the planet. Before Fresh Approach, Elias got a Master’s in Sustainable Food Systems in Colorado that included work to establish new partnerships for a food hub and provide technical assistance to help strengthen local farm-to-institution supply chains. He enjoys running, writing, reading, breathing, and deep conversation.

Elias Berbari
(he/him)

Development Manager

Raffaella has been at Fresh Approach since 2018. She grew up in Italy, the daughter of avid farmers, who still live and farm in a small village, where thin strips of vegetable gardens were created hundreds of years ago on cliffs that plunge down to the ocean below. She earned two Master’s degrees in Agronomy and a Ph.D. in Agro-food Economics. She began her career doing research projects related to food and farming in order to promote organic and local food systems in Europe. After moving to the USA, she had a burning desire to work on fostering food justice and nurturing equitable communities, where everyone can have easy access to fresh fruit and vegetable.

Raffaella Cerruti
(she/her)

Development Director

Born and raised in the East Bay, Jeremy received his Bachelor’s of Arts in Environmental Studies & Sustainable Resource Management from California State University, East Bay. While in college, he developed a deep appreciation for how our food choices affect the health of our physical environment, impact local economies, and influence community wellness. And so, for the past 8+ years, Jeremy has thoughtfully engaged in both food-based nonprofit and for-profit work to develop a deeper understanding of how to build a more sustainable food system in the Bay Area. At Fresh Approach, he oversees their brand development, social media channels and digital content creation, quarterly newsletter, and organizational-wide outreach activities to help uplift and bring awareness for their programs and fund development. Jeremy approaches his work with curiosity, creativity, and a lens of food equity and social inclusivity.

Jeremy Dutra
(he/him)

Marketing & Communications Manager

Lisa Carmack is a Castro Valley alum with a background in journalism and marketing. She graduated from San Francisco State with dual degrees in journalism and psychology. After working in public policy, nonprofit, and tech, she took her experience back to her community in Castro Valley to help build public resources through the school district that raised her and local businesses and nonprofits to develop marketing strategies. As a lifelong camper and camp counselor, she loves creating activities that facilitate learning and creativity.

Lisa Carmack
(she/her)

Communications Specialist

Education & Engagement

Anthony started his journey after graduating with a degree in sustainable environmental design from UC Davis. From there he entered the food access sphere, where he eventually found his way to working as a community ambassador with Fresh Approach. As a lifelong Bay Area resident, Anthony developed a passion for community development while working through Fresh Approach programs like the mobile farmers market, outreach, and rain gardens. Now, as a Community Garden Program Specialist, he hopes to couple his burgeoning passion for community with his experience in landscape design. In his free time you may find Anthony out in nature hiking, fishing, or camping, or inside playing board games. 

Anthony Otonari
(he/him)

Community Garden
Program Specialist

Born and raised in the SF Bay Area, it has always been Lyndsis’ passion to serve her community by addressing health disparities in any way possible and coming from a trauma-informed lens. In 2021, Lyndsi earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Science from San Jose State University. This grew her passion for community nutrition and multicultural health, which led to her joining Fresh Approach to support the Veggie Rx classes, food demonstrations with the Mobile Farmers’ Market in the South Bay, and development of our Train the Trainer program. In her down time, she is usually spending time with her dogs, hiking, cooking, or listening to some throwback music.

Lyndsi Datangel
(she/her)

Nutrition Education
Program Specialist

Tia began her Fresh Approach journey in 2021 as the Marketing and Food Access Specialist. She previously focused her studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in Environmental Studies and Economics with a focus in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Now, as the Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Tia brings her passions for building meaningful connections and strong community engagement to the center of her work. Outside of work, Tia enjoys community building, art, and working toward a world that is less oppressive for all creatures.

Tia Neal
(she/her/they/them)

Outreach and Engagement
Program Specialist

Christina joined Fresh Approach in July 2024, eager to work in an interconnected food justice space. As a class of 2024 grad in Sociology, Spanish, and Sustainable Food Systems, she uses her background in research, urban agriculture, education, translation, and public health to inform her role as the Community Engaged Program Specialist at Fresh Approach. Her work in food systems, community, and urban agriculture has been cultivated at Garden to Table Silicon Valley, where she has been a volunteer lead since 2023. Born and raised in Colorado, she felt called back to her family’s roots in the Bay Area, which she has always considered her second (and now primary) home. Christina’s interests include gardening, cooking, sewing, going to concerts, and creating and appreciating art.

Christina Nelson
(she/her)

Community Engagement
Program Specialist

Sasha has always been passionate about the intersection of food, culture and community. She has served as an educator since 2018 and has worked to increase access to nourishing foods through community cooking and gardening programs in New Orleans as well as in Mexico, Uganda, Italy and the UK. Sasha comes to this work with a background in Sociology and Latin American Studies and recently completed a Masters in World Food Cultures at the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Originally from Central California, Sasha is excited to be back working among her community while creating joyful experiences to cultivate positive relationships to one’s body, the natural world and community. In her free time, Sasha enjoys cooking, going on long runs, traveling and exploring new places with her friends and family.

Sasha Solano-McDaniel
(she/her/they/them)

Nutrition Education
Program Specialist

Vera joined Fresh Approach as a Food Access Program Coordinator in 2020 and became our Community Garden Specialist in 2022. She helps run all our gardening programs in East Palo Alto. Having lived in San Jose for most of her life, Vera has been focused on community-based service since high school. In her spare time, you can find her volunteering at Ulistac Natural Area and Education Project in Santa Clara, or some other restoration project in the Bay Area. She is a certified arborist and a master composter. You may find her on the 1st Saturday of the month hosting our monthly gardening workshops.

Vera Cordova Mendoza
(she/her/ella)

Community Garden
Program Manager

Lisa has been a resident of East Palo Alto since 2021. She cares about the community and enjoys sharing resources, exchanging knowledge and developing thoughtful solutions. Anything garden or farming related, she can converse about for hours. You may find her getting her hands dirty in the garden, admiring the beauty of God’s creation, or growing food to share.

Lisa Fabiny

Community Garden
Program Specialist

Shelby joined Fresh Approach in 2018 as a Volunteer Program Specialist through Public Allies, an Americorp program. After completing her time with Public Allies, she became the Outreach Program Specialist focusing on community engagement and outreach programs. Now, as the Community Engagement Program Manager, she oversees the Volunteer, Intern, Community Ambassador, and outreach programs. Previously, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice. Through this work, Shelby is committed to leadership development within communities to create transformative change. In her free time, you’ll find her cooking, working on creative projects, and exploring the Bay Area.

Shelby Bustria
(she/her/they/them)

Community Engagement
Program Manager

Yohana Ramirez was born in Mexico but grew up in Redwood City, California. She graduated from UC Merced with a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular/Cell Biology. It has always been a priority for Yohana to serve and help her community in the field of preventative care. That’s why she decided to join Fresh Approach as the food accessibility and garden intern. Where she grew more passionate about spreading the message of food is medicine and joined the nutrition team. In her free time, she loves to weightlift, dance, and spend time with her little brother.

Yohana Ramirez
(she/her)

Nutrition Education
Program Specialist

FOOD ACCESS

Acacia joined Fresh Approach in December 2024 and is excited to continue supporting small farms and emerging food systems with the Farms Together program. A recent graduate of Stanford who studied Earth Systems with a concentration in Sustainable Food and Agriculture, she has spent the last three years working at all levels of the food system, from being a farm hand at small farms to a policy intern at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Outside of work, she enjoys climbing, kayaking, and generally being outdoors.

Acacia Lynch
(she/her)

Farms Together
Program Specialist

Originally from Mississippi, Ellen Olack has over a decade of experience working in both nonprofit and grassroots efforts focused on environmental justice, but has always had a strong dedication to food system work. From gardening, to cooking, to breaking bread with others, food has always been a large part of their life. It is easy to see how they gravitated to their current role as the Food Access Program Manager. Ellen believes that knowledge should be shared and also works to empower other organizations to promote local food systems in their programming. They have been on the steering committee for the National Mobile Market Network since 2021 and helped to start a state-wide network in 2022 – the California Mobile Farmers’ Market Coalition – to be a space for new and veteran operators to learn from and support each other.

Ellen Olack
(they/them)

Food Access
Program Manager

Mary Anna, from Mexico, started her adventure in the food access movement with Fresh Approach in 2022 as a Community Ambassador for the San Jose and Sunnyvale area. She decided to switch careers from Silicon Valley tech jobs to nonprofits for social justice. She brings a deep passion for advocacy for Food Justice through Education, Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, Knowledge and Policy Change. Her motivation is to become a connector between local food growers and communities for a just food system. She wants to be a role model to her children as a mom, wife, community member, leader with a vision where everyone has a role in transforming society.

Mary Anna Cazarez-Sterling
(she/her/they/them)

Food Access
Program Specialist

Andy Ollove is the Food Access Program Director at Fresh Approach. Andy has been working to build resilient food systems since 2014. In that time, he has been particularly focused on increasing the linkages between small-scale, mission-driven farms to communities who have historically been denied access to healthy food landscapes. Andy has developed unique program interventions around the country, he has worked with corner store owners in the Bronx, food pantries in Brooklyn, gas stations in the Navajo Nation, farmers’ markets in Mexico, and cooperatives in rural Maine. In the Bay Area, he leads food access work at Fresh Approach, managing a diverse portfolio of projects including two mobile farmers’ markets, traditional farmers’ markets in low-access/low-income neighborhoods, and now the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

Andy Ollove
(he/him)

Food Access
Program Director

Isabel is the Food Access Program Manager in the South Bay: she manages the traditional farmers market in East Palo Alto and the mobile farmers markets in the South Bay area. Her passion at Fresh Approach is centered around supporting and providing resources to local BIPOC farmers and supporting and strengthening the local food system in her native city of San Jose. She consciously moved away from the corporate world and into a food justice position more aligned with her beliefs and values. Isabel believes that food is medicine- so what better job to have than to encourage this state of awareness in all communities? Isabel’s educational background is in psychology, and she continues her education in energy healing and trauma healing work. Outside of her role, she is a visual artist utilizing various mediums to convey the beauties of the inner and outer worlds. She enjoys a good laugh and spending time with an intimate circle of family and friends, a good cup of coffee, cooking, and getting grounded in nature’s many terrains.

Isabel Medina
(she/her/they/them)

Food Access
Program Manager

Samiha grew up mostly in the midwest as a first-generation Pakistani immigrant. She began her career in ecological restoration and conservation biology, and relocated to the Bay Area/mostly Miwok and Huichin lands in 2014. Since then, she has worked in various capacities within agroecology, land sovereignty, and food and farmer justice & advocacy. Her passion for this work was strengthened during her time in Peace Corps Panama, where she served as a Community Agro-Environmental Conservation Agent. She graduated in 2022 with a Masters in International Agricultural and Rural Development and Indigenous Studies from Cornell University. Prior to that, Samiha worked at Fresh Approach in 2018-2020.

Samiha Hamdi
(she/her/they/them)

Farms Together
Program Manager

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Darolyn grew up being involved in community outreach programs associated with her church. She has always been passionate about helping people both in the field and sharing important resources to those in need. She has an A.A degree in Sociology. Previously working in transit exposed her to countless numbers of people across the Bay Area in need and from that side she felt as if she couldn’t really make a difference. She strongly believes in the importance of health, exercise, and accessibility to healthy food options. That is what brought her to Fresh Approach as a Food Access & Education Specialist. In her spare time she works out, travels, and reads.

Darolyn Turner
(she/her)

Food Access & Education
Program Specialist

Lidia Cajucom is a Bay Area Native. Born in San Francisco then moved to Richmond at a young age. She was a stay at home mother for a few years before joining Fresh Approach as a Community Ambassador in April 2022 and is now a East Bay Food Access Program Specialist. Lidia has a passion to serve in her community in any way possible and will continue to do so now by helping make healthy food more accessible for everyone. Through this short time at Fresh Approach she is finding a new passion for sources of foods and their nutrition information. In her free time, you can find her spending time with family, cooking up new recipes, and cuddling with her fur baby Daisy.

Lidia Cajucom
(she/her)

Food Access
Program Specialist

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