Nikki Henderson - Executive Director

Nikki began her work in social justice through the foster care system in Southern California, having been raised with seven older foster brothers. Through mentoring, tutoring, and directing Foster Youth Empowerment Workshops, she developed her passion for youth leadership development among communities of color. She later shifted into sustainability, developing course curriculum for the University of California system and advocating across the state for environmental justice and political ecology. 

She has worked closely with Van Jones and Phaedra Ellis Lamkins at Green for All, fighting for a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. She was also a part of Slow Food USA in Brooklyn, NY where President Josh Viertel came to regard her as an "extraordinary leader with a vision for how food and urban farming can be tools of empowerment". In 2009, Nikki co-founded Live Real, a national collaborative of food movement organizations committed to strengthening and expanding the youth food movement in the United States. In 2010, Nikki was featured in ELLE magazine as one of the five Gold Awardees. She has a Master's degree in African American Studies from UCLA, and is originally from Los Angeles, CA. Email Nikki or contact her at Ext. 21

Jumoke Hinton-Hodge - Program Director

Jumoke has worked as a community and youth development consultant in the Bay Area for the last two decades. For the past ten years she has devoted her efforts to strengthening West Oakland. She co-founded the Parent Leadership and Engagement Academy Initiative (PLEA) and the West Oakland Education Task Force. Jumoke collaborated with California Tomorrow in the development of programs aimed at increasing parental competencies and ability to navigate the public school system. She co-facilitated diversity and youth development workshops with the Community Network of Youth Development, California Tomorrow and other statewide initiatives.

Jumoke served as the President of the Board for the 7th Street McClymond’s Neighborhood Improvement Initiative from 2001 to 2003 and served on the West Oakland Project Area Committee and co-chaired the Equitable Development Sub-committee from 2002 to 2004. Jumoke represented District Three on the Oakland Children and Youth Planning and Oversight Committee from 2003 to 2005. She currently sits on the Oakland Unified School District Board of Education representing District 3 – which covers West Oakland. Her term will end January of 2013.  Jumoke holds a Bachelor degree in Black Studies and English from Oberlin College. She is a mother to four children, ranging in ages from 17 to 26. Email Jumoke or contact her at Ext. 24

Victoria Fabella - Operations Manager
Victoria came to the Bay Area in 1991 after earning her J.D. from UC Davis. She's worked for several Bay Area non-profits including Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund, New College School of Law, Swords to Plowshares, and the UC Regents. She's worked as a worm farmer, circus manager, event producer and legal advocate for prisoner civil rights. Email Victoria or contact her at Ext. 22

Max Kurtz-Cadji - Cal Hotel Garden & Greenhouse Coordinator
Max hails from suburban sprawled streets of Las Vegas, Nevada. He is an avid guerilla composter and urban gardener. Many of the horticultural skills he employs were acquired from the 3 years he spent living in Madagascar. Max's greatest inspiration is his mother, Marlene. When it comes to bringing fresh, local produce to the masses he employs the philosophy "by any means necessary." Email Max or contact him at Ext. 20

Adesina was born and raised in San Francisco. After attending college at UC Santa Barbara and earning a B.A. in Sociology she returned to the Bay Area and worked as a Systems and Data Analyst. After a brief move to Tennessee for work she took some time off, traveling in Spain, Greece and India and then Central and South America. In 2002 she settled in Oakland with a new passion for the foods of the world and the idea that food could be the foundation of social movements. Adesina  worked for Whole Foods Market from 2003 to 2010 as Food and Health Educator and advocate of local, organic and sustainable lifestyles. During that time she also became a Certified Nutrition Educator and a Certified Master Composter. Adesina's personal interests include enjoying the Bay Area outdoors, cooking, gardening and practicing homesteading skills like raising chickens and rabbits. Email Adesina or contact her at Ext. 25

Saqib Keval came to People’s Grocery in order to imagine and support new food systems rooted in social justice and political education. His passion is in using food as tool for community organizing, resistance and radical political education. He is a founder of the People’s Kitchen, a free restaurant/community kitchen/political project dedicated to skill and resource sharing rooted in food justice. Before coming to People’s Grocery, Saqib spent years working in the restaurant industry as a chef and server. He cooks and organizes with a revolutionary Love. He is fond of dancing and eating with loved ones. His favorite spice is cardamom. Email Saqib or contact him at ext. 20.

Evette Brandon - Chair

Mia Birdsong - Vice-Chair

Mia Birdsong grew up on the East Coast surrounded by accomplished writers, journalists, lawyers, photographers, educators, artists, and activists. She is the Vice-President of the Family Independence Initiative and brings to the board extensive professional experience from her time in the publishing world and a decade spent in the field of youth health education. She deeply committed to social justice and anti-oppression work. Mia also sits on the Advisory Board of the Young Women’s Health Leadership Program . She lives with her family in West Oakland.

Scott Atthowe - Treasurer 

Scott Atthowe is the President of Atthowe Fine Art Services, a West Oakland business that grew out of Atthowe Transportation Co Inc, a trucking business and large family business. Scott has a background in engineering, art and architecture. He is a practicing artist working with sculpture, painting and photography.

Dawn Newton - Bio Coming Soon