The food we eat is a statement about who we are, the values we hold, and the world in which we want to live. In other words, food is political. The food industry is filled with politics, from labor to issues of equity and access. As such, it can be a lever to create political change in our communities and our country. Join Navina Khanna, director of the HEAL Food Alliance, Chef Reem Assil, and more for a lively and interactive conversation about the role of food as politics. With special guest moderator Brie Gelinas, deputy director, Real Food Real Stories.About the SpeakersReem Assil is the executive chef and owner of Dyafa and Reem's California, both in Oakland. Growing up in a Palestinian-Syrian household, she was surrounded by the aromas and tastes of food from the homeland and the connections they evoked of her heritage, family, and community. Before dedicating herself to a culinary career, Reem worked for a decade as a community and labor organizer, and brings the warmth of community to all her events. She has worked with Bay Area’s esteemed cooperative bakery Arizmendi Bakery & Pizzeria, Grace Street Catering, Penelope Bar & Lounge, and several other local Bay Area chefs. In 2017 she graduated from the competitive food business incubator program, La Cocina and Oakland-based Accelerator business program, ICA Fund Good Jobs. It was there she defined her concept and was armed with the ideas and resources to make her dreams of opening her own successful restaurant a reality.Brie Gelinas is deputy director of Real Food Real Stories, a nonprofit dedicated to humanizing the food movement and inspiring cultural and social change for a connected, healthy, and just food system. Brie has a background in community development, film, event logistics, and business strategy. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable food practices and was involved in the organic farmer’s market in regional Australia for many years. In 2011, she was inspired to create an online farmers market to connect buyers to their local food providers. In addition, Brie has developed programs to aid indigenous people in their plight against environmental and social injustice. In 2013, she co-founded Britelite Immersive, an experience design firm in San Francisco, and utilized her skills in multimedia and storytelling to curate meaningful immersive experiences.Navina Khanna is the director of the HEAL Food Alliance (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor), a national cross-sector food and farm justice coalition. She has dedicated over 15 years to creating a more just and sustainable world through transforming food systems, and in 2014, her work was recognized with a James Beard Leadership Award. With a background in sustainable agriculture and food justice, she's worked as an educator, community organizer, and policy advocate, organizing across sectors and communities. Based in Oakland, Navina serves on the Board of Richmond's Urban Tilth, advises the Real Food Media Project, and organizes with #Asians4BlackLives. A first-generation South Asian American, Navina's worldview is shaped by growing up — and growing food — in India and the United States.About Food is a ConversationOrganized by KitchenTown, Future Food Institute and the Institute for the Future's Food Futures Lab, this event is part of a series of public discussions about innovation in the food system featuring entrepreneurs, industry experts, policy advocates, and you. Learn something new, contribute to the conversation, and be a part of a growing community interested in the future of food.
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The food we eat is a statement about who we are, the values we hold, and the world in which we want to live. In other words, food is political. The food industry is filled with politics, from labor to issues of equity and access. As such, it can be a lever to create political change in our communities and our country. Join Navina Khanna, director of the HEAL Food Alliance, Chef Reem Assil, and more for a lively and interactive conversation about the role of food as politics. With special guest moderator Brie Gelinas, deputy director, Real Food Real Stories.About the SpeakersReem Assil is the executive chef and owner of Dyafa and Reem's California, both in Oakland. Growing up in a Palestinian-Syrian household, she was surrounded by the aromas and tastes of food from the homeland and the connections they evoked of her heritage, family, and community. Before dedicating herself to a culinary career, Reem worked for a decade as a community and labor organizer, and brings the warmth of community to all her events. She has worked with Bay Area’s esteemed cooperative bakery Arizmendi Bakery & Pizzeria, Grace Street Catering, Penelope Bar & Lounge, and several other local Bay Area chefs. In 2017 she graduated from the competitive food business incubator program, La Cocina and Oakland-based Accelerator business program, ICA Fund Good Jobs. It was there she defined her concept and was armed with the ideas and resources to make her dreams of opening her own successful restaurant a reality.Brie Gelinas is deputy director of Real Food Real Stories, a nonprofit dedicated to humanizing the food movement and inspiring cultural and social change for a connected, healthy, and just food system. Brie has a background in community development, film, event logistics, and business strategy. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable food practices and was involved in the organic farmer’s market in regional Australia for many years. In 2011, she was inspired to create an online farmers market to connect buyers to their local food providers. In addition, Brie has developed programs to aid indigenous people in their plight against environmental and social injustice. In 2013, she co-founded Britelite Immersive, an experience design firm in San Francisco, and utilized her skills in multimedia and storytelling to curate meaningful immersive experiences.Navina Khanna is the director of the HEAL Food Alliance (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor), a national cross-sector food and farm justice coalition. She has dedicated over 15 years to creating a more just and sustainable world through transforming food systems, and in 2014, her work was recognized with a James Beard Leadership Award. With a background in sustainable agriculture and food justice, she's worked as an educator, community organizer, and policy advocate, organizing across sectors and communities. Based in Oakland, Navina serves on the Board of Richmond's Urban Tilth, advises the Real Food Media Project, and organizes with #Asians4BlackLives. A first-generation South Asian American, Navina's worldview is shaped by growing up — and growing food — in India and the United States.About Food is a ConversationOrganized by KitchenTown, Future Food Institute and the Institute for the Future's Food Futures Lab, this event is part of a series of public discussions about innovation in the food system featuring entrepreneurs, industry experts, policy advocates, and you. Learn something new, contribute to the conversation, and be a part of a growing community interested in the future of food.
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470 Alabama Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
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