When did you know that you wanted to work in food?

I wouldn't say that I work in food so much as I investigate food as a cultural object and theme in visual art, and work with people, mostly artists, who use food as a material. About nine years ago, I started blogging about the intersection of food and contemporary art. At the same time, I was working in a curatorial-educational capacity at the Brooklyn Museum, and in the fitness industry where I was of course conscious of nutrition and exercise. Later, I went through Just Food's Community Chef program, which was very influential, particularly in my thinking about food justice. I see my work now, at With Food in Mind, as the result of all of this-the coming together of my different experiences over time. I can't recall having a single aha moment.

How did you get your current good food job?

I created it. I didn't know of any visual art organizations that were connecting modern or contemporary creative practices to food and cooking, childhood obesity, and education inequality. So I set out to build that organization.

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

Working in contemporary art and making exhibitions definitely helped prepare me for the work I do at With Food in Mind. For example, when I develop programs like our pop-up, "The Fruity Pop Workshop," I'm very cognizant of aesthetics, object presentation, and how color and other design elements can aid us in meeting learning objectives while providing a certain type of experience.

I also think that my personal experiences with food have played a role in my work. In my freshman year of high school I moved in with my father who ate pizza, chips, candy-things that my mother had not allowed me to eat-on a regular basis. No one had ever told me what would happen if I ate this way everyday. I just wasn't aware. As a result, I spent many years battling weight and body image issues. Early food education might have made a huge difference in my life.

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?

I had to overcome my fear of failing. I know that's cliché but it's true.

I think about calling it quits every few months! It's gratifying to see my vision start to materialize, but building any business is hard. Raising and making money is hard. It's not enough for people to pat you on the back and say, "You're doing good work"- nonprofits can't grow on compliments or admiration. Don't get me wrong, I am appreciative and I love what I do, but it is challenging on many levels.

When I read about the problems in our food and education systems (which is often), it motivates me to keep going. There is so much work to do! And then there are the times when I'm at a farmers markets or a preschool working with children-it's rewarding unlike anything else I've done in life.

I also have to add that I have an incredible sister. She knows how much my work means to me and she won't let me quit. She's my rock.

What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?

Exactly what your website suggests: to do good; to improve the quality of people's lives now and help shape healthier future generations.

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

Fresh fruits and veggies, unlimited Baptiste Yoga classes, and really good ice cream, in that order.