​I help cities and communities map and activate their local food systems—connecting chefs, growers, and neighbors to co-create plans and programs that make good food more visible, accessible, and celebrated.  Food Activation Plans >

PLACE + FOOD

Food is a powerful connector—a vehicle for memory, culture, and economic justice. Through placemaking, I activate gardens, markets, and food corridors as sites of community building and resilience. I connect the parts of the local food system—growers, makers, vendors, and eaters—through wayfinding, mapping, and programming that brings visibility and vitality to overlooked spaces. From supporting sidewalk vendors to transforming vacant lots into edible public spaces, our work helps shape food systems that are local, inclusive, and rooted in place.

PROJECTS

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The Community Comal at
​Rancho Los Cerritos​
​Funded by AARP, the Community Comal project brought cocineras tradicionales to Long Beach's historic rancho to build a traditional outdoor comal—a clay griddle used for generations in Indigenous Mexican cooking. Designed as a site for intergenerational connection and cultural exchange, the comal anchors hands-on programming rooted in ancestral foodways. The kickoff event welcomed over 150 attendees who participated in nixtamalizing corn, hand-pressing masa, and making tortillas and quesadillas together. Elders, children, and families gathered around the fire, learning, eating, and honoring heritage in a joyful, communal setting.
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Marketplace Mambo
+ ​Produce 2 Market
Funded by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Produce 2 Market brought fresh, whole fruits and vegetables into six corner stores located in food desert neighborhoods. By creating “Health Shelves,” we helped small storeowners build the capacity—and the confidence—to offer more than just chips and sodas. Customers embraced the new options, affirming that healthy food access can start at the corner store.
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To celebrate and share this effort, we launched Marketplace Mambo—a joyful, dance-driven music video funded by the California Arts Council. Co-created with neurodiverse youth from Sowing Seeds of Change Urban Farm, the video brought our community's story to life, blending movement, music, and storytelling.
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Savor Santa Ana Food Festival
Savor Santa Ana is a community foodie celebration where over 30 downtown restaurants fling open their doors and serve up signature tastes in exchange for tickets. Like a festive urban carnival, the event features live music, a vintage trolley, activated public plazas, and the irresistible energy of a city on the move. With bright maps, coordinated tastings, and thousands of residents turning out to walk, taste, and explore, Savor Santa Ana transforms the city into a vibrant, moveable feast.
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Home Chef Advocacy & Support
I've championed home-based food entrepreneurship by supporting legal reforms that expand opportunities for cottage food operations and home restaurants, including promoting California’s MEHKO law through a widely shared educational video. To build momentum and understanding, we hosted “brunch and learn” gatherings that connected systems advocates, policymakers, and grassroots leaders around the potential of home kitchens to drive economic and cultural vitality. Our work has also included securing support from government programs and philanthropic partners to assist small food entrepreneurs with funding, training, and compliance. Beyond policy and programming, we've helped home cooks tap into local sourcing and distribution networks, strengthening their business models and their connection to place.