Our Team

Cook! Cooking is a good way to quiet my mind and focus on one task, and I like the satisfaction of being able to make things that I like to eat.

Doing something personally meaningful, building connections with other people and being happy!

My toddler! And coffee.

Always cook. The kitchen is a studio where I can create and express my love of cooking and baking. Dishes are just work.

Madeleine Albright, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Every woman at the Women’s March.

My dog Buster, because of him I love and appreciate our NYC parks every day.

I can’t choose just one, but a notable mention is eating the freshest lobster, caught by my Kuna Yala host while staying on San Blas Islands in Panama.

By how you encourage, support and inspire others.

Travel, of course.

Both! The dishes are part of the meal. When you do the dishes you digest both the food and the conversation, and get ready for the next day.

All the learning that happens in a day.

If I know that I have a chance to take a walk outdoors, ideally in the wilderness.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Satisfaction and happiness.

A good breakfast. It’s my favorite meal of the day.

Cinnamon cream corn.

The opportunity to make a difference in someone’s small business. We can never guarantee success but we can work to create more favorable conditions for new businesses to get their footing.

When you’ve left something better than when you found it.

The participants in the workforce training program and their visions for themselves. These motivate me to assist in the ways that I can to support their visions/dreams becoming reality.

Anthony Bourdain: a person who lived life so openly and fully. He saw the beauty, darkness and richness of the world and offered those who followed him insight into the way he saw things.

A cup of tea before getting ready for the day

Whooper—my first “real” job was working at Burger King while in High School.

Dishes! My husband is an excellent cook.

Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you or makes you happy.

Probably buttered toast.

A sentence shouldn’t be longer than two lines on a page! (Seriously, it’s good general writing advice.)

Eat my way across the globe, of course.

Trying to wrap spring rolls as a child with my grandmother.

Building and motivating a team is hard work—and it take a while to get it right—but the rewards are long lasting!

Travel and work on a photo essay on spices (from the history trading of spices to how they’re currently used.)

While traveling in Laos in the 90s, I was invited to join a celebratory dinner for former Royal Laotian family members. Meals are always a great moment to invite friends and strangers to a table in order to share our stories and histories.

Although I enjoy cooking very much, I also love the gift of others’ cooking. I love being able to help out doing the dishes as part of the communal process of being in the kitchen with friends and family.

My childhood babysitter and my parents’ best friend Gene. His energy and love was a beacon of light, and his influence colors how I look at much of the world.

My grandmother’s matzo ball soup and brisket during Passover when I was growing up. I now know that her recipe (which included french onion soup mix and an entire bottle of ketchup) was the same one used by basically every Jewish grandma in the 1960s… but still, nothing will ever taste that good again.

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.

I would visit and hike around as many national parks as possible, ideally biking part of the way with my dad.

It combines two of my driving forces—empowerment and food!

I went to school for social work, and even though I’m not practicing, the person-focused approach has always stayed with me. I try to always stay curious and empathetic toward people.

My favorite song of all time is “American Girl” by Tom Petty, so I’ll go with that. I love the sentiment of being “raised on promises”, and it really is “a great big world with lots of places to run to”!

My favorite food memory is coming home from school to the aroma of my grandma making lasagna just how I like it—no meat!

I like to think I’m a very patient person, and in NYC that is definitely a superpower.

Unstoppable by Sia. It never fails to pump me up! I’m determined to conquer my goals.

It really just takes a little help, a spark of confidence, a pro tip, or an introduction to kickstart a career—so many people have mentored, guided, or coached me! I love seeing that in action at Hot Bread Kitchen with the women and entreprenuers we work with.

Artists like Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Hilma Af Klint who lived full creative lives, often in spite of challenging circumstances.

Travel, cooking, eating, and taking photos all day.

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.

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!

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.

My favorite food memory is eating fresh salad with vegetables picked from my family’s garden in rural Romania.

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.

My superpower is my patience and organizational skills. Being patient and organized helped in both my career and in personal life.

I grew up in Australia and every Christmas we would have a barbecue and seafood after going to the beach for a swim. Those summer days were the best.

Anyone who has the passion and drive to go after what they want—create their own business, start a new course, change career—that kind of courage is inspiring.

I would travel somewhere warm and internet-free with my husband and dogs. We would eat amazing food and completely disconnect.