A conversation on food justice, centered on culinary, agricultural, and community-driven approaches to pressing issues of inequality, insecurity, and injustice in the US food system. The panel will feature: Tommy Garcia-Prats, a founder of Small Places LLC and leader in Community Impact Agriculture; Indigenous chef and advocate Sean Sherman (the Sioux Chef); and artist/writer/cook Tunde Wey. who uses his practice to explore systems of material power and their personal and collective consequences.

Jaime González is an award-winning conservationist, educator, communicator, and network weaver who partners with community partners to co-create healthier, more climate ready, more equitable, and more wildlife-friendly places using nature-based solutions. Mr. González earned a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction-Science Education and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Houston.

Leticia Gutierrez is the Director of Government Relations and Community Outreach for Air Alliance Houston (AAH). Leticia keeps abreast of policy developments and oversees engagement with elected officials and stakeholders to advance AAH’s goals. She was born in Mexico and came to Houston as a child, eventually graduating from Milby High School and the University of St. Thomas. Prior to joining AAH, she served as the Chief of Staff at the Houston City Council. Her passion for safe air for all started as she raised her children in the East End of Houston, where she noticed the poor air quality, and that one of her children experienced asthma when living there. When Leticia isn’t working, she is likely out volunteering in the community or spending time with her family.

Paige has served in the public, nonprofit, and education sectors for nearly two decades, working to promote environmental stewardship, defend public health, and improve quality of life in the greater Houston region. Most recently, they served as Deputy / Interim Executive Director for Citizens’ Environmental Coalition; and prior to that, spent eight years at Air Alliance Houston working across development, policy, operations, education, and advocacy. Paige is a two-time alumnus of the University of Houston (Master of Public Policy; Bachelor of Arts, Economics), Certified Public Manager, Climate Reality Leader, founding member of Houston Climate Movement, and Community Fellow in Environmental Studies at Rice University. Outside of work, she enjoys playing music and spending time in nature.

Stefania Tomaskovic, Ph.D., serves as Coalition Director for the Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience. Stefania believes that a strong, resilient Texas is possible: one where every person can access safe, affordable housing, where every neighborhood has healthy air, water, and soil, and where our economy is strengthened by meaningful work opportunities that support healthy livelihoods without doing harm to each other or the environment. Prior to joining CEER, Stefania worked with Public Citizen, a national nonprofit group dedicated to representing the people’s voice in the halls of power. Stefania has also worked as a chaplain and a geologist.

Yudith Nieto is the Organizing & Cultural Strategies Manager at Bayou City Waterkeeper. She is a queer Mexican-American organizer, language justice worker, and interdisciplinary artist originally based in Houston, Texas where she put her efforts into advocating for environmental justice in fenceline communities since 2012. She has worked with frontline communities across the country and the Gulf South to create, develop and amplify community-led media around just transition stories, including artbuilds in solidarity with intersectional movements for a decolonized multilingual approach. Yudith work weaves networks of solidarity and mutual aid to respond to the ever-frequent natural disasters due to climate change.