Tuesday, November 12th, 2019

Noon – 1:00 PM

Track III: Food and Wellness, Innovation - Herscher Hall, Guerin C

The Farm to Table Transformation - The Food & Wellness Ecosystem - The Home - The School - The Restaurant

Andrew Blume, co-founder, inHouse Produce, Inc.

Elizabeth Bowman, Director, Farmers’ Market Operations, SEE-LA - Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles

Melisa Nicola, renown restaurateur, co-owner, Nic's Beverly Hills, President, Culinary Arts Kids Eat (C.A.K.E.)

Mark Anderson, CEO, Farmer Mark

Sabrina Williams, CEO, SEED

Nicole Landers, co-founder, Community Healing Gardens (CHG)

Susan Haymer, Eco-Food Specialist, 360 Degree Communications, Moderator

Susan Haymer is the lead strategist for 360 Degree Communications, a boutique marketing firm specializing in grassroots outreach for films with purpose. She has spearheaded campaigns for many food and environmental films including GMO OMG, City of Gold, Anthony Bourdain’s Wasted, The Breach. Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent and The Biggest Little Farm.  Susan brings over two decades of experience both behind and in front of the camera as a producer, writer and director of award winning television programs, including the 13 episode, James Beard Award winning series, Food Forward.

Nicole Landers, co-founder, Community Healing Gardens (CHG): For more than two decades, Nicole has been an advocate for environmental and human health – and her mission is to guide the next generation into meaningful action. Nicole graduated from the Sustainability Certificate Program at UCLA, June 2017 and is a Climate Reality Leader under Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corp. Currently Nicole co-founded a non-profit in Venice, Community Healing Gardens (CHG). Whose mission is to foster community, climate resiliency, and growing local food systems through urban gardening. Spearheading the organization, she is focusing on underserved communities and the next generation living in these areas of Los Angeles. A lover of the outdoors, traveling, cooking, gardening, farmer’s markets, stand up paddle, yoga, and the arts, Nicole resides in Venice with her fiancé and their two pets.

Mel Nicola is a visionary restauranteur who is presently inspiring under-served youth to live a healthy lifestyle. Mel believes that wisdom and guidance combined with opportunity will lift youth up out of poverty and into a life of prosperity and balance. To cultivate this experience Ms. Nicola has created, Culinary Arts Kids Eat a dynamic non-profit set to engage youth to become ambassadors of health to their communities. As the executive director of CAKE, she provides hands on training in culinary arts, and professional expertise in the restaurant & hospitality industry. Youth learn to grow own food, develop fresh healthy recipes, create a cookbook, and study health-wellness and nutrition. Practice yoga, mindful meditation and become social entrepreneurs. CAKE youth receive hands on training empowering them to enter the workforce or pursue higher learning. The CAKE program has empowered the lives of 550 teens and recognized by L.A. Times, ABC and NBC as an innovative and sustainable approach to breaking the cycle of poverty. With so many requests from adults to attend the CAKE classes, Mel has since launched Cayenne. A series of sensory adventure workshops - mini retreats where you experience a true alignment with the inner soul. Guests enjoy activities to harness our state of flow…all the senses are engaged; culinary arts, healing arts, soulful music and supercharged inspirational speakers to guide us on the journey. Each series is rooted in lifting you up and filling your life with purpose, gratitude balance, vitality and bliss. Mel brings three decades of expertise in the hospitality industry combined with her visionary service to community. Humans, being…..we are all connected. It is when we nourish the planet, harness our energy and connect deeply we then can nurture our souls becoming rooted in our humanity.

Sabrina Williams, CEO, SEED: Sabrina Williams has worked with groups across the U.S. as a community organizer and organizational development specialist. With degrees in architecture, law and urban planning, she has focused on social justice, equity and community development issues in urban communities. In 2000, she founded the non-profit Home&Community Inc., to guide emerging groups in 40 states through the business formation process and, via its SEED project, address food security in low-income, transitional and homeless populations. Since 2015 she has worked with farmers in the U.S. and Cuba, to help them create innovative agriculture technology. The DIY-kit developed in workshops allowed farm entrepreneurs to address water conservation, improve soil health and increase crop yields - in challenging physical, social and political environments. In 2018 she became CEO of SEED, an independent, public benefit corporation dedicated to offering a full-service, technologically-advanced “farm in a box” that allows everyone -- from small plot farmers to windowsill growers — to grow more food while gaining 21st century STEM skills. As a public benefit corporation SEED supports underserved communities by promoting a “conscious consumerism” focused on sustainability and positive social impact.  For each SEED purchased, one is provided to a stakeholder in a low-income or developing community.

Elizabeth Bowman is Director, Farmers' Market Operations at Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA) and former manager of the Hollywood Farmers' Market - LA's largest certified farmers' market. In 2012 Elizabeth co-founded and operated the Altadena Farmers' Market. Elizabeth has a Master's Degree in Urban Sustainability from Antioch University Los Angeles.

Mark Anderson, aka “Farmer Mark” currently operates five farmers’ markets throughout the Los Angeles & Orange County area. After a career in investment banking, Mark stumbled upon a career in agriculture when his dot.com aspirations burst with the bubble in 2001. He spent six years running a small tomato and vegetable farm in Ventura County using Organic, hydroponic and conventional growing methods. During this time, he gained intimate knowledge of farmers’ markets having sold at numerous markets throughout Los Angeles County. With a passion for healthy eating, background as a small farmer and a desire to see farmers’ markets grow, “Farmer Mark” started managing markets. Starting with the opening of his first farmers’ market in 2009, the organization has since grown to managing five farmers’ markets. For eight years, Mark served on the California’s Certified Farmers’ Market Advisory Committee advising the Secretary of Agriculture. He currently serves on the Board of Grow Good, a small urban farm growing food to support a Salvation Army homeless shelter. Mark presented at TEDx Santa Monica in 2012. He highlighted his story with his talk “How I Fell In Love with a Tomato”  TEDx Santa Monica Talk

Andrew Blume, co-founder, inHouse Produce, Inc.: Andrew has had a lifelong interest in where his food comes from. At 5 years old, Andrew decided he didn’t like the idea of eating animals, became a vegetarian, and has never looked back. In fall of 2015, Andrew found a way to combine his passion for sustainably sourced food with his career through volunteer work with the Association for Vertical Farming; and eventually through paid industry positions. On his modern farming journey, Andrew has engaged with many notable organizations including Microsoft, Philips, Ikea, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Southern Company, Square Roots, LACI, Plenty, and Aerofarms. Andrew now conducts his agtech practice inHouse Produce, an indoor agtech company focused on reimagining the farm-to-table experience. Andrew is an Al Gore-trained climate speaker who is hungry to continue learning and best position himself to foster: green jobs, healthy local food, sustainable best practices, and resilient cities.