Our Team

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

Exploring the world through food with loved ones! I’d shop at markets, cook, share meals, and take tons of photos along the way.

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.

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.

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.

Having the opportunity to support and champion women who are entering the food industry is so inspiring and exciting to me.

Rent a villa in Italy for my friends and family and visit a local market daily to cook elaborate meals for everyone.

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.