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.

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.”

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.

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.

A 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.)

Everything about the Passover meal at my grandparents’ when I was younger—especially my grandmother’s matzo ball soup and brisket.

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.

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.

The company’s mission of empowering women through food is what brought me to Hot Bread Kitchen.

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.

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’s a tie between my dad’s famous chocolate mousse—which he’d make every year on New Year’s Eve—and my mom’s classic chicken soup with dill.

I’m passionate about racial, economic, and food justice, which all inevitably intersect with each other and with public health. I’m motivated by bringing people together to champion causes that make the world better. As a native New Yorker, building partnerships to support more equitable systems in my city is truly a dream come true!

Always use the Oxford comma.

The power of human-centered design—designing with the user involved in the process.

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.

I’d spend time traveling, cooking and sharing meals and connecting with people, and taking photos.

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.