We are visionaries, foodies, entrepreneurs, fundraisers and communicators.
We show up every day to build a more equitable food system that unites people, launches careers and changes lives.
Leslie Abbey
Chief Executive OfficerRead BioKristine Borok
Chief Operating OfficerRead BioKristine Borok
Chief Operating Officer
What is your favorite food memory?
My 9th birthday when I requested to have a cooking party and made Chicken Parmesan!
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
Always say thank you and please.
What song best describes you and why?
“You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King. It’s my wedding song!
Cedric Jarrett
Chief Financial OfficerRead BioCathy Kim
Chief Programs OfficerRead Bio
Leadership Team
Karen Bornarth
VP of Industry Partnerships & InitiativesRead BioKaren Bornarth
VP of Industry Partnerships & Initiatives
Which food would you cross the desert for?
A good baguette with good butter.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
My son. He is (almost) always a very happy camper in the morning and I love to kiss his sunny face.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Find a quiet beach and read, swim, snack, sleep and repeat.
Wai Chu
Lead Education ManagerWai Chu
Lead Education Manager
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
I’m genuinely inspired by the women we serve. As much as they think we give them through the program, they give us more in return.
How do you define success?
Satisfaction and happiness.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
A good breakfast. It’s my favorite meal of the day.
Sonam Choedon, MSW
Senior Manager of Member SuccessSonam Choedon, MSW
Senior Manager of Member Success
What is your favorite food memory?
My favorite food memory is sitting around the kitchen table making momos with my family. The flavors in our Tibetan household have these amazing influences because my mom grew up in Bhutan and dad grew up in Nepal. Making momos was always a time for my family to have bonding time.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
My own immigrant family’s journey to the US and my parents’ drive to seek opportunities for me and my brother motivate me to work at Hot Bread Kitchen. I see that same drive and passion in the women that we serve, and it motivates me even more.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
A quote from the Dalai Lama that my mother shared with me as a child has always guided me: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Dianna Daoheung
Entrepreneur in Residence Read BioDianna Daoheung
Entrepreneur in Residence
What is your favorite food memory?
Every Sunday my mom would make a huge stock for the week, so I would wake up smelling stock, rice and incense. That has forever stuck in my mind.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
The mission has always stuck a cord with me as these members are a direct reflection of my family and myself.
Who is your inspiration?
My mother is my inspiration for this position. To be able to give our members something I wish she had as a resource means more to me than any job could give.
Amy Gettler
Office ManagerAmy Gettler
Office Manager
Who is your inspiration?
I find inspiration in a lot of people, but primarily my mom. She has faced adversities and struggles that I cannot even imagine. But at the end of the day she finds a way to make a joke, see the lighter side in things, and love her family ferociously.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Visit the most famous and extravagant restaurants in the world, and just look and the menu and say “YES PLEASE!”
What's your superpower?
Being stable and clear headed in a tricky situation—that person that others look to when they ask “OK, so what do we do now?”
Katie Kutchera
Employment CoordinatorKatie Kutchera
Employment Coordinator
Who is your inspiration?
Michelle Obama. Not only is she an empowered woman herself, but she’s dedicated her life to try to help empower other women and children even when the odds might be stacked against them.
How do you define success?
To me success means to be happy and fulfilled by the work you do, the friends you have, and the life you choose to cultivate.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
“The Good Parts” by Andy Grammar because I think everyone’s story is important in understanding who they are. I’m driven by connecting with people and knowing them through the good and the bad.
Jenny Kutner
Senior Communications ManagerJenny Kutner
Senior Communications Manager
Which food would you cross the desert for?
Probably buttered toast.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
A sentence shouldn’t be longer than two lines on a page! (Seriously, it’s good general writing advice.)
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Eat my way across the globe, of course.
Kelsey Minten
Program Evaluation & Data ManagerKatie Peabody
Director of ProgramsKatie Peabody
Director of Programs
What is your favorite food memory?
Everything about the Passover meal at my grandparents’ when I was younger—especially my grandmother’s matzo ball soup and brisket.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
I’m always learning and re-learning that leaning into discomfort and fear (basically doing the harder thing, whatever that means for you) is, infuriatingly, one of the best ways to grow.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
I would visit and hike around as many national parks as possible, ideally biking part of the way with my dad.
Melissa Preddie
ControllerMelissa Preddie
Controller
What is your favorite food memory?
My favorite food memory is when dad taught me how to make puff pastry and my batch rose was twice as big as his! That joy inspired me to go into baking. I have been sharing that joy ever since.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
The company’s mission of empowering women through food is what brought me to Hot Bread Kitchen.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
I would sail around the Mediterranean on a yacht with my husband and close friends, stopping to enjoy amazing food from the different cultures we visited.
Azra Samiee
Director of Community and Member EngagementAzra Samiee
Director of Community and Member Engagement
What is your favorite food memory?
All my favorite food memories are linked to visiting family Iran and being welcomed into any home we entered with an opulent food spread. There was always a glass coffee table covered in fresh fruit, vegetables, pistachios and different sweets. And all meals were served at a long dining table plated wth mountains of rice decorated with saffron and served with a khoresht (stew).
Which food would you cross the desert for?
A tie between joojeh kabob and potato tahdig. I recently learned how to make them, but unfortunately nothing compares to the way my Aunts prepare them.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
That Hot Bread Kitchen is committed to building inclusive pathways of economic mobility for women while creating a more equitable NYC!
Margo Sivin
Brand DirectorMargo Sivin
Brand Director
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
The power of human-centered design—designing with the user involved in the process.
Who is your inspiration?
Artists like Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Hilma Af Klint who lived full creative lives, challenging the status quo for women artists in their time.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Exploring the world through food—both solo, and with loved ones! I’d wander through markets, cook, daydream, share meals, and take tons of photos along the way.
Gabriella Stern
Development ManagerGabriella Stern
Development Manager
What is your favorite food memory?
Some of my favorite memories surrounding food have been made cooking with my family, especially with my grandmother. There are no written recipes, it’s just learning from her—how she moves about the kitchen, tastes food, and uses various utensils for measuring.
Which food would you cross the desert for?
A big plate of my gallo pinto (rice and beans) with fried queso fresco, maduros, a side of fresh fruit and a tall glass of pineapple juice. That meal could keep me fueled and full for hours!
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
On the weekends, the prospect of making a hearty breakfast gets me out of bed. During the week, I like to get my days started early with a brisk walk with my new dog.
Taylor Stevens
Senior Culinary Program AssociateTaylor Stevens
Senior Culinary Program Associate
What is your favorite food memory?
Eating my grandmother’s keshkeg (a wheat porridge) that she would make for me every time she visited. It showed me how love can be translated through food.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
Having the opportunity to support and champion women who are entering the food industry is so inspiring and exciting to me.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Rent a villa in Italy for my friends and family and visit a local market daily to cook elaborate meals for everyone.
Liliana Vislocky
Accounting CoordinatorLiliana Vislocky
Accounting Coordinator
What is your favorite food memory?
My favorite food memory is eating fresh salad with vegetables picked from my family’s garden in rural Romania.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
I would love to travel with my family to Europe, spend quality time with our relatives, and visit new places. I would love my daughter to see where her parents grew up.
What's your superpower?
My superpower is my patience and organizational skills. Being patient and organized helped in both my career and in personal life.
Staff
Hot Bread Kitchen Speaker’s Bureau
Our team is well-versed and prepared to speak on a variety of topics, including social enterprise, small business, workforce development, DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, allyship), job quality, women and families, and more. Please contact Margo at msivin@hotbreadkitchen.org to discuss opportunities for events, press, and more.
Join Our Team
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