Designation Team Members

Jorge was born in Zacatecas, Mexico but grew up in sunny Whittier in California. After completing high school, he began to work at a fast-food restaurant for over 12 years. After that, he began working for a trucking company as…

Alden found Food Forward while looking for outdoor volunteer opportunities in community gardening and agriculture. She studied biology at the University of Chicago and has since explored a careers in reproductive healthcare and science writing. From Southern California, Alden grows…

Franchesca grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, California before making her way further inland to UC Riverside for college. After receiving a BA for Global Studies, she immediately put that degree into use by joining Peace Corps Panama for two years. She served as an Environmental Volunteer working with community members to install household solar panels, implement sustainable agricultural systems, and integrate more environmental education in the local school curriculum. She returned to the US in 2019 and moved to Los Angeles in 2020. Committed to community outreach and sustainability, she worked for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps as a Crew Supervisor and then Universal Waste Systems as a Zero Waste Specialist. Through these experiences and her volunteer work at grocery distributions, food pantries, and compost hubs, Franchesca became increasingly interested in food waste diversion and ensuring that nutritious food is being used to feed people and not landfills. Franchesca is excited to work with Food Forward in their mission to fight food waste. In her free time, you can usually find Franchesca in nature hiking or camping with friends and family or looking for a cute coffee shop to lollygag in.

Maya grew up in West LA with a love for hiking, going to the beach, and tending to the orange and peach tree in her backyard. She moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University to study Psychology and Global Health. In college, she volunteered with the Campus Kitchen to redistribute excess dining hall food, pursued public health research through independent study and multiple nonprofit organizations—most notably IPHI— and was also involved in various social justice initiatives on campus. Through these experiences, she found a passion for health justice and is very excited to be dedicating herself to this work at Food Forward. When she is not working, you can find Maya reading historical fiction, attempting to paint, and going on long walks with her dog.

Ayden is East Coast born and bred, having lived in Boston and New York. She studied the intersection of Politics and Entrepreneurship at NYU with a focus in non-profits. Ayden committed most of her summers to working with her hands—either…

Nancy Hsu has more than 16 years of experience as a nonprofit fundraiser. She brings a depth of knowledge and passion to development work and is thrilled to support Food Forward’s mission. Nancy subscribes to the philosophy that the true…

David was born and raised in Colima, Mexico where he lived until he was 19 years old and decided to move to the United States. Before he joined Food Forward, he worked in DCG Distribution for 23 years. He was…

Victor was born and raised in El Salto Jalisco. Before joining the Food Forward team as a driver, he worked for a produce company as a truck driver for about six years. What interestedhim about Food Forward is their passion…

Michael grew up in cities across Orange County, using regional park trailheads and small public beaches to take refuge from well-manicured suburban living. He studied Public Affairs at UCLA, where he pursued a breadth of research, policy advocacy, and peer…

Madi grew up in the Bay Area and made her way down the coast to UC Santa Barbara for college. Her passion for food justice work was sparked while making sandwiches at the Isla Vista Food Cooperative. She realized the…