The People of People's Grocery
Nikki Henderson - Executive Director
After much anticipation we are excited to announce that People’s Grocery’s Board of Directors has chosen Nikki Henderson as our new Executive Director beginning Jan. 11, 2010. Before Brahm leaves at the end of January, he will be working to train and support Nikki as he hands her the reins of People’s Grocery and connects her to the many relationships that have been at the foundation of People’s Grocery’s work for the last seven years. Learn more about
Nikki here.
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.
Jason Uribe - 55th & 59th St. Gardens Manager
A product of the Oakland Public School district, Jason Uribe comes to us from Longfellow Middle School in the Berkeley Public School District, where he taught garden based curriculum to 6th and 7th grade science classes. Before that Jason worked for many Oakland organizations including the East Bay Conservation Corps/Americorps program, Youth Employment Partnership/We Mean Clean program, and the Student Conservation Association's Oakland office. Jason brings a background of urban gardening, youth empowerment, community activism and a passion for social change. Email Jason.
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.
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.
Diana Abellera - Grub Box Manager, Economy & Food Systems Manager
Diana Abellera is the Grub Box Manager and Economy & Food Systems Manager at People's Grocery, where she is developing a job training program for adults in the food sector. Diana has developed comprehensive curriculum and facilitated trainings that connect low-income people and people of color to tangible means for improving the community's quality of life. She has worked with various Bay Area non-profits, including Urban Habitat, Redefining Progress, the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative, and Slide Ranch. Email Diana.
Marcelo Garzo, Economy & Food Systems Coordinator
Marcelo comes to us by way of Toronto, Canada; San Diego, CA; and Valparaiso, Chile. He came to the Bay Area in 2007 to pursue higher education at UC Berkeley, where he received his B.A. in Comparative Ethnic Studies, with a Minor in Global Poverty and Practice (Agroecology). Food justice became the meeting place of his training in sustainable agriculture and philosophies of liberation. Before deciding to become a full-time student, Marcelo worked as a musician and artist in his hometown of San Diego, CA. Marcelo supports our Urban Agriculture program as well as coordinates the Food Justice Allyship program and Anti-Oppression Trainings. Aside from his work in food justice, Marcelo has also worked in prison abolition, political education, and bicycle-based activism. His inspiration comes from Chicana feminist Gloria Anzaldua and his mother, Lucy del Carmen Montalvo Hicks. Email Marcelo.
Jonathan Darr, Development Director
Jonathan Darr is a seasoned fundraiser and nonprofit leader with more than fifteen years of experience working for civil rights, arts, and community organizations. He has served as Executive Director of Young Audiences of Northern California, the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals, and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Prior to his work as an Executive Director, Jonathan served as Director of Member Services and Director of Stand for Children Day with Stand for Children and on the fundraising team at the National Organization for Women. He has served on the board of directors for BRAVA Theater: For Women in the Arts and the New College Alumni Association and has served on panels or given speeches for the National Organization for Women; Parents, Families, and Friends, of Lesbians and Gays, the Men's Rape Prevention Project and more. Jonathan attended New College of Florida where he earned a BA in Women's Studies and Literature. After ten years in Washington, DC, he now lives in Oakland with his husband, TC Duong.
Email Jonathan.
Vigi Molfino, Health & Food Systems Manager
People’s Grocery hired Vigi Molfino as the adult cooking class instructor in September 2008. Vigi has cooked for family and friends for over forty years with her home grown organic vegetables, cherries, apples, chicken eggs, and goats milk. Vigi’s professional experience includes owning a small catering business for eight years, buying cookbooks from publishers for a major east bay book store, and hosting cookbook author appearances with preparation of recipes from author's book. Email Vigi
Dannae Washington - Health and Food Systems Assistant [image6_right]
Dannae began working for People's Grocery since the summer of 2006 educating youth about eating healthy and helping them make better food choices. Dannae graduated Rudsdale High in 2008 and now attends Merrit College, She plans to transfer to Grambling State University down south. Her goal in life is to become a nurse. One of her passions is to travel the world. Dannae's favorite food is catfish, and she loves the colors purple and green. Her two inspirations in life are her two nieces: Aylia and TyTy.
Jocobi Perkins - Grub Box Program Assistant
Bio Coming Soon
Email Jocobi.
2010 Board of Directors
Malaika Edwards
Malaika Edwards is a co-founder of the People's Grocery. Malaika holds a BA in Environmental Studies and dance from Oberlin College. She has been an organizer and facilitator for over 15 years working for environmental health, justice and community self-reliance. Malaika worked with Youth for Environmental Sanity and Rural Quality Coalition. She has served on the boards of The Institute for Deep Ecology and The Sierra Friends Center. Malaika is a recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service, Food & Wine Magazine Tastemakers Award, the East Bay YMCA Public Service award, and the Flywaway Productions 10 Women award. She was chosen by Utne Reader, San Francisco Magazine and Organic Style Magazine as a young visionary and environmental leader. Malaika's life goal is to create positive change through love, service, and creative expression.
Jose Corona
José Corona is the executive director of Inner City Advisors, providing strategic leadership and direction to the organization. He has worked in business and community development for over ten years.
Prior to Inner City Advisors, Jose served as development director for five years at Mission Economic Development Association (MEDA), a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that provides micro enterprise business technical assistance and neighborhood planning services to small businesses. Before working in the non-profit sector, Jose also worked in Corporate Retail Operations and Human Resources at Macy’s.
Jose sits on various economic development boards. He serves as the secretary of the Board of Directors of Asian Neighborhood Design and sits on the Bay Area Business Advisory Board of Directors of the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco. Jose is also a member of Board of Directors of the YMCA of The East Bay and OBDC Small Business Finance. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from UC Davis, and Entrepreneur Management Development Certification from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
When he is not busy doing community development work, he enjoys coaching and playing soccer.
Kathryn Boyle
Kathryn comes from a long line of Nebraska farmers, though she grew up in various places throughout the US, mostly Virginia. She came to the Bay Area in 1982 to attend UC Berkeley, where she received a BA in Political Science and Women’s Studies. Her career in non-profit organizations has focused on community based public health strategies to create policy and systems changes to create conditions in which all can be healthy. She worked for 13 years with the Public Health Institute as Program Director/Chief Administrative Officer of the Partnership for the Public’s Health, where she managed a five year initiative to disperse over $24 million in funding to more than 50 grantees throughout California. She currently works at Kaiser Permanente, Community Benefit Programs, managing grants that focus on advocacy and environmental changes to support healthy eating and active living.
Evette Brandon
Evette Brandon has worked with a number of community-based organizations and public agencies with an explicit commitment to eliminating economic injustice, health disparities, sexism and racism. She has worked with the Community Health Academy, The Center for Third World Organizing, The Applied Research Center, Girls After School Academy, the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT), Youth UpRising, and the Alameda County Public Health Department. A grassroots fundraiser by trade, Ms. Brandon has also served as a Board member with GIFT, The Todos Institute, Conciliation Forms of Oakland, and the Alumnae Association of Mills College. Ms. Brandon received her Master in Public Health from San Jose State University.
Scott Atthowe
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.
Mia Birdsong
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.
