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. From our staff to our Board of Directors and committees, each individual brings unique value to our recipe for success.
Leslie Abbey
Chief Executive Officer(She/her)Read BioCathy Kim
Chief Programs Officer(She/Her)Read BioKristine Borok
Chief Strategy and Advancement Officer(She/Her)Read BioKristine Borok
Chief Strategy and Advancement 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 Officer(He/Him)Read Bio
Leadership Team
Maria Acevedo
Community Engagement Manager(She/Her)Maria Acevedo
Community Engagement Manager
What is your favorite food memory?
Traveling to my parents’ hometown in Dominican Republic and cooking “Locrio en lena” outdoors (wood fired mixed rice with any protein) with loved ones while sharing stories.
Who is your inspiration?
Throughout my career I’ve had the opportunity to work with many community-based organizations and residents. To me they are unsung heroes. I’m inspired by their resiliency, resourcefulness, and dedication to their communities especially in the pandemic these past three years.
What's your superpower?
I once did the moonwalk while salsa dancing.
Eleanor Altholz
Institutional Partnerships Associate(She/Her)Eleanor Altholz
Institutional Partnerships Associate
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
I would rather do the dishes! My roommate in college was a great cook, and I, not knowing how to cook at that time, would thank her for feeding me by washing up after dinner and doing the grocery shopping. I’ve come to enjoy cooking myself since then, but doing the dishes is still my go-to way to show my gratitude toward anyone who is generous with their cooking.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
I worked in restaurants for many years in both the back and front of house and I’ve seen firsthand that building the skillset to work in a professional kitchen or dining room can be incredibly empowering. However, when you’re not well compensated or respected for your work, it can be the opposite. Working at Hot Bread Kitchen fills me with hope that not only can we help women build life-long careers, but that as an organization we can contribute to changing the standards for work in the food industry for the better.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Travel as much of the world as possible!
Katharine Boyle
First Course Case Manager(She/Her)Katharine Boyle
First Course Case Manager
What is your favorite food memory?
Making French Toast for my host family as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
Breathing deeply and extending exhales longer than inhales calms the nervous system and helps to reduce anxiety.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Travel to Antarctica to see penguins and whales!
Sophie Brenits
First Course Case Manager(They/She)Sophie Brenits
First Course Case Manager
What is your favorite food memory?
The first time I held a Passover seder for my friends back in college. Cooking is such an act of love, and it was really special to share such an important holiday with them and bring them into my Judaism.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
Being part of a network of people all committed to making the food industry more equitable and accessible. I’m so inspired by all of our program members, and consider myself lucky to support them with a great team.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
I would take my dad on a road trip down south to eat our way through all of the regional barbecue. Growing up, we used to go to all of the BBQ spots near us and rank them by their ribs, sauce, sides, etc. If we had a month, we could hit every state and return to our favorites once or twice, and find time to go to museums and see some live music, too!
Eva Chertow-Spence
Upskilling & Job Quality Program Director(She/Her)Eva Chertow-Spence
Upskilling & Job Quality Program Director
What is your favorite food memory?
Eating shrimp and grits at the Surrey Cafe in New Orleans.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
There is so much I loved about working in the food service industry, but there is still so much in the industry that needs to improve. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to work on something I’m so passionate about.
How do you define success?
To vastly oversimplify, I think success is all about balance.
Sonam Choedon, MSW
Director of Community and Member Engagement(She/Her)Sonam Choedon, MSW
Director of Community and Member Engagement
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.”
Wai Chu
Senior Director of Culinary Workforce Development Programs(He/Him)Wai Chu
Senior Director of Culinary Workforce Development Programs
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.
Fatoumata Conde
Assistant Culinary Instructor(She/Her)Fatoumata Conde
Assistant Culinary Instructor
What is your favorite food memory?
I recently had a reunion with my siblings (2 brothers and 3 sisters) after more than 7 years apart! Now that I live in New York City, we don’t have many chances to gather. The last time I saw them was back home in Africa. It was wonderful for them to come visit me in Brooklyn after all these years. We went to a buffet in my neighborhood and we ate and talked the whole night. I love the shrimp, fried fish, and fried rice at this restaurant, but more importantly, I loved reconnecting with my family.
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
Cook, of course! As a chef, I love to cook. It makes me feel happy and fulfilled to be in the kitchen. I enjoy trying new ingredients and testing new recipes. There is so much room to be creative in the kitchen.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
I was taught to try and do good in life without expecting anything back in return. When I am in need of help or support, I have faith that some will come and be there for me.
Gabrielle Finestone
Strategy & Operations Manager(She/Her)Gabrielle Finestone
Strategy & Operations Manager
What is your favorite food memory?
My favorite food memory is making homemade gnocchi and pesto with my grandfather.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
I am motivated by the opportunity to support and uplift our members who make New York’s food and restaurants so special!
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
I would rent out a big, beautiful space to cook and host elaborate dinner parties every night; and fly in my family and friends from out of state to join!
Jenny Dominguez
First Course Recruitment Coordinator(She/Her)Jenny Dominguez
First Course Recruitment Coordinator
Which food would you cross the desert for?
Definitely NYC pizza!
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
My dishwasher and I have come to an agreement that I will always cook, and she will always wash the dishes. I love baking and cooking it has always been a creative outlet for me.
Who is your inspiration?
My immigrant parents who came to this country at only 15.
Shantee Grant
Case Manager(She/Her)Shantee Grant
Case Manager
What is your favorite food memory?
My favorite food memory is as a child being excited when my grandmother would come to the U.S. from Guyana and bring lots of treats such as mithai, fudge, salara, and cassava pone.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
On the first day of the first class getting my Human Service degree, the professor stated “4 years will pass whether or not you complete this program. It is up to you to decide today where you want to be when that 4 years has passed.”
How do you define success?
I define success as creating a life you want and being genuinely be happy with where you are no matter what you went through to get there.
What's your superpower?
My superpower is making the best out of any situation or circumstance.
Tan Hamilton
Office Manager(She/They)Tan Hamilton
Office Manager
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
I would rather cook, it is such a joy to see others marvel and enjoy something that you created.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
Always be true to yourself and never let anyone extinguish your fire.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Cosplay and travel to different Con’s
Joel Henriquez
Assistant Culinary Instructor(He/Him)Joel Henriquez
Assistant Culinary Instructor
Which food would you cross the desert for?
There is literally nothing on this planet that feels more connected to my upbringing than Dominican oregano. It is a variety of a common herb that produces a flavor that is impossible to replicate and authentic to itself. It makes food taste INCREDIBLE. I always keep a stash in my spice rack.
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
I’d rather do both. A good chef ALWAYS cleans as they go!
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
Life is all about balance and moderation; Knowing when to rebalance and when to remain in stasis.
Yvette Ho
Director of People & Operations(She/Her)Yvette Ho
Director of People & Operations
Which food would you cross the desert for?
Most creamy pastries and desserts. I could never be vegan for this reason alone.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
The culture and mission of bringing people together around food.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Jenny Kutner
Director of Editorial & Strategic Initiatives(She/Her)Jenny Kutner
Director of Editorial & Strategic Initiatives
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.
Julia Liburdi
Employer Partnerships Manager(She/Her)Julia Liburdi
Employer Partnerships Manager
What is your favorite food memory?
My favorite food memory is making homemade sausage, pasta, and sauce in my Nonna’s kitchen while my Nonno poured us his homemade wine. Having the whole family gathered around food made with so much love and wisdom was so special.
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
While I’m definitely a team player with chores, I would absolutely rather cook! I love being creative and collaborating in the kitchen and serving delicious food, whether it’s casual and simple or over-the-top elaborate.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Embark on a food tour roadtrip around the US and Mexico!
Ally Miller
Director of Institutions and Development Strategy(She/Her)Ally Miller
Director of Institutions and Development Strategy
What is your favorite food memory?
Picking (and eating!) strawberries, corn, green beans, and tomatoes from my family garden growing up.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
That I get to be a piece of a huge community working to make NYC a more equitable place.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Eat at every NYC restaurant I have ever dreamed of and invite everyone I know.
Kelsey Minten
Program Evaluation & Data Manager(She/Her)Melissa Preddie
Controller(She/Her)Melissa 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.
Lilian Sanchez
Member Engagement Manager(She/Her)Lilian Sanchez
Member Engagement Manager
Which food would you cross the desert for?
Dry pot with extra five-spiced tofu, lotus root, and sweet potato. It is my to-die-for dish.
How do you define success?
Being proud of your goals and achievements no matter how big or small as long as they’re aligned with your principles.
What would you do for a month if money was no object?
Visit as many farms as possible and probably have a spa day every day!
Azra Samiee
Senior Director of Small Business Programs(She/Her)Azra Samiee
Senior Director of Small Business Programs
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
Senior Director of Brand(She/Her)Margo Sivin
Senior Director of Brand
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
The power of human-centered design—designing with the real people/users 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.
Erin Son
Development Associate(She/Her)Erin Son
Development Associate
What is your favorite food memory?
My favorite food memory is being home for my birthday every year. My mother makes me miyeokguk (seaweed soup) to celebrate birth. It’s so comforting to eat!
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
I would rather cook, I have to make sure there’s 10x garlic in each dish I make.
What's your superpower?
Incorrectly singing songs with confidence
Soledad Sloan
Program Coordinator(They/Them)Soledad Sloan
Program Coordinator
What is your favorite food memory?
Learning how to smash and fry tostones from my mom!
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
I am motivated by the dedicated, creative, and compassionate Hot Bread Kitchen staff and community members.
Who is your inspiration?
My family is my inspiration. Their ability to connect with people and build community inspires me to be a more open and authentic person.
Angela Tan
First Course Program Coordinator(She/They)Angela Tan
First Course Program Coordinator
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
Cook! I don’t mind doing the dishes but I prefer making things (especially things I can eat) to cleaning up.
Who is your inspiration?
People being their authentic selves, even if it’s a bit silly or weird or rough around the edges.
What's your superpower?
Fridge Tetris, AKA the ability to rearrange and shove things into a refrigerator with limited space.
Taylor Stevens
First Course Program Manager (She/Her)Taylor Stevens
First Course Program Manager
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.
Adriana Teitelbaum
Brand Marketing Associate(She/Her)Adriana Teitelbaum
Brand Marketing Associate
What is your favorite food memory?
Sitting in the kitchen with my mom as a kid and learning how to make classic Puerto Rican dishes.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
The passion and positive energy that the team and program members bring everyday.
Who is your inspiration?
Sylvia Rivera.
Eftihia Thomopoulos
Chief of Staff(She/Her)Eftihia Thomopoulos
Chief of Staff
Which food would you cross the desert for?
My mom’s homemade spinach pie.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
My equal passions for economic development policy and all things food.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
My homemade cold brew with oat milk
Malcolm Tolliver
First Course Kitchen Assistant(He/Him)Malcolm Tolliver
First Course Kitchen Assistant
What is your favorite food memory?
My favorite food memory is trying jerk chicken in Jamaica for the first time.
Which food would you cross the desert for?
I would cross the desert for my wife’s lamb chops.
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
Knowing that I’m helping people get their foot in the door in the culinary world is what motivates me.
Liliana Vislocky
Accounting Coordinator(She/Her)Liliana 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.
Diamond Wynn
Lead Culinary Instructor(She/Her)Diamond Wynn
Lead Culinary Instructor
Would you rather cook or do the dishes? Why?
I can’t believe I’m saying this but dishes. Dishes are never cleaned correctly! I often will pre-wash anything I’m using because of food scraps or grease residue. Let’s do dishes and let’s do them correctly!
What motivates you about working at Hot Bread Kitchen?
Hot Bread Kitchen was my first introduction to an incubator space at La Marqueta in East Harlem when I was fresh out of culinary school in 2014. It’s a huge privilege to be full circle 8 years later, knowing the programming and networking changed my life for the better. I remember feeling like my pursuit of a culinary degree/career was late but Hot Bread Kitchen showed me that there is no timeline for change or a fresh start.
What's something you've learned that's always stayed with you?
Always be learning, always be teaching! There’s something to learn from everyone, always. There’s something to teach everyone, always. We are all holding information another person can use.
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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