We’re united in our shared commitments to food justice, equity, and collective action to ensure there’s food for all, today and tomorrow. Meet the people — staff and advisory board members — behind Provecho Collective. (Why pronouns matter.)
Our Staff
Brace Gibson, J.D.
Policy Director
(she/her)
Staff Liason for:
Policy Committee, food coalition conveningsFavorite Colorado-grown food
Honeycrisp applesBrace leads our state and federal policy priorities, administrative advocacy, and community justice framework to advance equitable, community-driven change across Colorado. She brings years of experience at the intersection of policy reform and community partnership, with a foundation in transformative justice. Brace previously served as director of policy and community engagement around maternal-child health equity issues. She earned her J.D. from Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, with a focus on public interest law and policy. When not working, Brace cherishes playful moments with her daughters, trips to the mountains, and reading new books.
Bryanna Patinka
Development Director
(she/her)
Staff Liason for:
Development strategy, Colorado Food Justice Funders CollaborativeFavorite Colorado-grown food
Carrots (from my friend’s food forest!)Bryanna oversees our fundraising strategy, building values-aligned partnerships and securing financial resources that strengthen our work with communities across Colorado. She brings years of experience promoting funding and organizational capacity-building for Tribes, universities, and nonprofits. Her last role included developing food security programs for Alaskan Indigenous communities. Bryanna holds a BA in Political Science with a concentration in Political Theory and a minor in Economics from American University. Outside of work, you can find her backcountry skiing, rock climbing, hiking, curling up with a good novel, or playing board games.
Charlie Kestler
Community Justice Manager
(they/elle)
Staff Liason for:
Community Voice Committee, Storyteller’s CornerFavorite Colorado-grown food
Peaches (from my friend's garden!)Charlie manages our work to center community voice by building relationships, supporting leadership, and facilitating trusted spaces where people can share their stories, elevate lived experience, and influence policy and systems change. They previously served as a health and food policy advocate, supported unhoused communities using trauma-informed practices, and worked as an environmental health specialist in Panama with the Peace Corps. Charlie recently completed their Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Colorado Denver. They’re a queer, trans person who loves performing improv, curling up with a sci-fi/fantasy novel, hiking and camping with their dog, and watching reality TV shows.
Dayana Leyva
Policy Manager
(she/ella)
Staff Liason for:
Federal policy and advocacy, Advocacy Leadership AcademyFavorite Colorado-grown food
CarrotsDayana manages our federal policy and advocacy efforts and guides emerging community leaders in building skills and power to advocate for local change. She brings expertise in policy analysis, grant management, and collaborator engagement. Dayana is committed to removing systemic barriers in food policy, drawing from her own lived experience with food insecurity. She holds a Master’s of Public Health from the University of Colorado with an emphasis in Health Systems, Management & Policy, and is also a Certified Health Education Specialist. In her free time, Dayana can be found on a hike or paddle boarding with her husband and dog, riding her Peloton with friends, and engaging in DIY projects around her home.
Dolores Ramirez
Executive Director of Community
(she/ella)
Staff Liason for:
Community collaborationsFavorite Colorado-grown food
Pueblo green chileDolores co-leads Provecho Collective, guiding statewide community partnerships and strategies to reimagine Colorado’s food system alongside communities. She oversees the Policy & Community Justice and Communications teams, guiding efforts that amplify community voice and drive lasting change through equity and collaboration. Previously, Dolores was Chief Program & Impact Officer at Growing Home, leading organizational strategy and grassroots initiatives in North Metro Denver. Outside of work, she’s a passionate musician who performs with an all-female band and in traditional Mariachi ensembles, using music to celebrate Mexican heritage and foster cross-cultural connection.
Grace Benasutti
Community Justice Coordinator
(they/she)
Staff Liason for:
The Colorado Trust’s Community Resilience Initiative grantee cohorts — Accessing Healthy Foods and Building Food SystemsFavorite Colorado-grown food
PeachesGrace supports grantees in building their capacity to expand local food access and strengthen their local food systems. Having spent a decade working in various roles within community and social service organizations, they recently earned their Master’s in Social Work. Grace loves hanging out with their dog, spending time with family and friends, chasing rivers and lakes, watching goofy TV shows, and exploring new hobbies.
Greta Žukauskaitė
Grants & Reimbursement Manager
(she/her)
Staff Liason for:
Community Food Grants, Grant Review Committee, compensation for community membersFavorite Colorado-grown food
PeppersGreta administers the Community Food Grants program, supporting food pantries and food banks in expanding access to Colorado-grown and culturally relevant foods. She also oversees our community compensation so individuals are fairly recognized for their time and expertise. Her background spans equitable fresh food distribution, advocacy, and youth leadership. Greta has worked in Massachusetts’s food-system space and served on the Mize Family Foundation board supporting climate justice globally. She holds a Master’s in Geography from King’s College London and a BA in Public Communication with an environmental focus from American University. Greta finds joy in creativity, adventure, physical movement, and being outdoors.
Jacob Aragon
Policy Intern, Fall 2025
(he/him)
Staff Liason for:
Advocacy toolkitFavorite Colorado-grown food
TBDJacob contributes to Provecho Collective’s policy and advocacy initiatives, including helping build a new advocacy toolkit. He recently graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Economics. Looking ahead, he plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
Through both his academic work and internship experiences, Jacob has developed a passion for advocacy, particularly in the policy sector. He has a strong interest in supporting marginalized and vulnerable communities and hopes to expand his work with these groups during his internship.
Outside of work, Jacob enjoys playing the cello, thrifting, and hiking.
Joël McClurg
Executive Director of Systems
(he/him)
Staff Liason for:
Colorado Food Systems Roundtable, CO-FARMFavorite Colorado-grown food
Palisade peachesJoël co-leads Provecho Collective, with a focus on organizational operations and systems-focused collaborations. He oversees the Development and Impact teams to ensure our work is both impactful and transformative. He previously served in policy leadership roles for the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger and Hunger Free Colorado, as well as a SNAP compliance officer at the Colorado Department of Human Services. Joël holds an MS in Food Security from Colorado State University. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and spending time with his wife and two young daughters.
Kassandra ‘Kasey’ Neiss
Data & Evaluation Analyst
(they/she)
Staff Liason for:
Data & Evaluation Committee, data and evaluation needs for The Colorado Trust’s Community Resilience Initiative grantee cohortsFavorite Colorado-grown food
PotatoesKasey manages data and evaluation projects and supports grantees in building capacity to use data for storytelling and impact. They specialize in community-based evaluation, data equity, and data storytelling projects with food sovereignty organizations across Colorado’s food and farm systems. Kasey previously served as director of data activism for FrontLine Farming and Project Protect Food System Workers. They also own their own research consulting company and hold an MA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Denver and a BA in U.S. Ethnic Studies and Oral History from Hampshire College. Kasey is always hungry for science fiction novels and strategy board games – and, if she pedals fast enough, perhaps she'll achieve her goal of biking to the moon (239,000 miles).
Leticia Macias
Language Justice Coordinator & Executive Assistant
(she/ella)
Staff Liason for:
Language justice and accessibility requestsFavorite Colorado-grown food
PeachesLeticia advances language justice and accessibility across Provecho Collective, helping ensure everyone can fully participate and feel a sense of belonging. She also provides direct support to our co-executive directors in their day-to-day work. Leticia previously worked in Denver Public Schools for many years as a school secretary and parent liaison. She’s a native Spanish speaker who has lived in Colorado for more than 40 years and currently serves as a board member of Horizons. Leticia is a grandmother with two amazing children – and has a deep love for community, family, and building strong relationships.
Michelle Ray
Communications Director
(she/her)
Staff Liason for:
Communications & Accessibility Committee, communications strategy, media relationsFavorite Colorado-grown food
PeppersMichelle leads our communications strategy to increase the visibility of our work, amplify community voices and solutions, and uphold Provecho Collective’s brand that’s rooted in equity and collective power. She brings nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit and public service sectors, previously overseeing public communications, media relations, and marketing for Hunger Free Colorado and Pikes Peak Library District. Michelle holds a BA in Integrated Strategic Communications with a minor in Marketing from the University of Kentucky. Outside of work, you might find her hiking or paddling in the high country, devouring a new book, volunteering in her community, or simply spending time with her family and pets.
Our Advisory Board
Representing local food coalitions and communities across Colorado, this diverse group of community members ensures our work stays grounded in community-led efforts to achieve food sovereignty for all. They help guide our budget, strategic planning, key projects, and visibility — and are compensated for their time, leadership, and expertise.
Brandi Adakai (she/her)
About Brandi
Brandi currently serves as Empowerment Center Director for Rocky Mountain Service Employment Redevelopment (RMSER). She’s passionate about children and families, food access and systems, workforce development, community development, and small business development. Brandi helped build the first-ever empowerment center in Pueblo with RSMER and is working towards creating empowerment centers for all ages across Colorado.
She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Colorado State University-Pueblo, as well as two associate degrees – one in early childhood education and another in general studies with an emphasis in Business Management from Pueblo Community College. Brandi also received a director’s certificate from Pueblo Community College.
Brandi is very active in her community. She’s currently a board member for the Latino Chamber of Commerce and Pueblo Rescue Mission, as well as serves on the Commission on Housing and Homelessness, as a coalition member of the Pueblo Food Project, and as Treasurer for the alumni chapter of Hasan School of Business. She also volunteers at many food pantries and banks, churches, schools, community gatherings, and chamber events. Brandi previously served on the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s Governing Council.
She’s the blessed mother of two heaven-sent children, Christiana and Josiah. Brandi’s motto is “With every negative, THERE IS a positive.”
Emily Olsen (she/her)
About Emily
Emily believes in supporting community-led solutions to the challenges we face. She’s passionate about supporting the health of people, communities, and our planet.
With a background in health equity and food justice, Emily has worked with communities across the country to create their own healthier futures. As the Executive Director of Cloud City Conservation Center in Leadville, she works on initiatives at the intersection of environmental justice and health equity, including Cloud City Farm, Lake County’s only produce farm. Emily has previously worked with Lake County Build A Generation, Denver Food Rescue, Fresh Food Connect, and FoodCorps. She’s currently a member of the Lake County Food Access Coalition and also serves on the Parkville Water Board and the Kitchen Committee for St. George Community Meals.
Emily believes that our own individual health is not separate from the health of our communities or our planet. When not working to support her community, she can be found running or skiing in the mountains surrounding Leadville.
Fatuma Emmad (she/her)
About Fatuma
Fatuma is Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Head Farmer of Front Line Farming. She’s an affiliate professor at Regis University and lecturer in the Masters for Environmental Studies Program at CU-Boulder. She’s also the owner and operator of Bountiful By Design, a sustainable high-end landscape company.
Fatuma was born in Denver and raised in Denver and Ethiopia. She has worked farming organic and heirloom vegetables on her own acreage as part of a land co-op, setting up farms for restaurants, and as a farm manager for multi-acre community farms in Milwaukee and Denver.
Before becoming a farmer, Fatuma was a political scientist who engaged in issues affecting marginalized farming communities, such as the push for genetically modified seeds across Sub-Saharan Africa. She believes in resistance by the world’s land caretakers to single solutions for crop productivity and seeks to work on reframing ideas of food security.
Fatuma has been certified and teaching yoga since 2004 and is a graduate of the Center for Agriculture and Ecology at the University of Santa Cruz. She currently serves as a Mayor-appointed member of the Sustainable Food Council for the City of Denver, a co-chair for the City’s Good Food Purchasing Policy Group, and president of Mile High Farmers. She’s also a fellow at Transformational Leaders for Change, promoting leaders of color in Colorado, as well as a 2020 Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Fellow.
Fatuma previously served on the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s Governing Council. She also was awarded the inaugural Kathy Underhill scholarship from Hunger Free Colorado, which annually recognizes a community member who’s changing hearts and minds in the hunger space with advocacy, policy, and/or community engagement through the lens of health equity.
Jodi Walker (she/her)
About Jodi
Jodi has never been afraid to take on controversial issues and has frequently used unorthodox approaches to bridge the cultural, economic, and generational challenges of her Eastern Plains community. Kids At Their Best, which she founded, exemplifies the strength of her commitment to all children and all families. Jodi’s understanding of the complex interplay of major political, financial, and distribution systems – and the impact at the local level – has led to national recognition for both her and her organization.
She has brought together immigrants from Mexico and South America and refugees from Somalia, along with local children whose families have lived on the Eastern Plains for generations, to build a network of youth who use peer support and other means to increase their job potential and to promote the value of diversity in rural Colorado. This work has allowed Jodi to develop sustainable programs to serve not only local children but also inspire others.
Her work extends beyond her county to encompass regional, state, and national missions to improve the lives of children. Jodi also serves on the board of the statewide Community Resource Center and Morgan County Food Coalition. She also has served as a member of the state AmeriCorps advisory group as well as the former Governing Council for the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger. One of her favorite projects is working with a national cohort of nine agencies tasked to bring innovations to solving rural childhood hunger.
Jodi overcame a traumatic brain injury to pursue her soul work on behalf of children and families. She and her husband run a 300-acre family farm in Wiggins, raising cows, chickens, occasional pigs, and a host of other critters. Together, they have six children, one granddaughter, and a 120-pound Great Pyrenees puppy. When not working, she supports the local volunteer fire department where her husband and children are firefighters. She also loves exploring the Colorado outdoors, reading, and sewing.
Max Gibson (he/him)
About Max
Max lives in the tiny town of Saguache and serves as Executive Director of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition and Board Chair of Saguache County Sustainable Environment and Economic Development. With an undergraduate degree from Naropa University and dual graduate degrees from CU-Denver in Public Health and Urban/Regional Planning, he has worked on healthy community design and food system planning in Colorado as well as humanitarian response in East Africa and the Middle East.
Before that, Max spent years leading wilderness trips across the Rockies and abroad, in addition to working as an EMT in several Denver and mountain hospitals. He can be found mountain biking, skiing, or soaking in some hot springs.
Monique Marez (she/her)
About Monique
Monique is from Pueblo and believes that food connects us to ourselves, each other, and our abundant planet. She is a food systems practitioner with experience at every scale of the sector – from grassroots community organizing, farming, and animal husbandry to international trade policy and food systems development in nearly 40 countries around the world.
Monique's first job in agriculture was picking tomatoes with her grandmother. At 14 years old, she entered food service and waitressed in countless restaurants for 16 years. Monique relied on WIC, SNAP, and food pantries during different times in her life. Her consulting practice, Eptimizo LLC, provides strategic services to food and agriculture businesses, nonprofits, and governments to build a more resilient and nourishing food system.
She holds degrees from Yale University and New York University. In addition to being a coalition member of the Pueblo Food Project, Monique also serves on Pueblo County’s Horticulture & Agronomy advisory boards and volunteers with RMSER. She loves nothing more than cooking a delicious meal to share.
Namrata Bhoomi Shrestha (she/her)
About Namrata
Namrata serves as Health Access Director at the West Mountain Regional Health Alliance, where she leads initiatives addressing food insecurity and the social determinants of health in Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin, and Summit counties. She joined the organization in 2017 as their Regional Health Connector, focusing initially on identifying the region's top health priorities, building relationships with healthcare providers and community organizations, and developing strategic programs to address the area’s physical, behavioral, and social health needs.
In her current role, Namrata oversees the Alliance’s Mountain Coalition for Food & Nutrition Security, where she collaborates with local partners to address barriers to food access, focusing on sustainable solutions that support long-term health and wellness. Additionally, she plays a key role in the Community Resource Network, which links community members to essential resources, including food assistance, housing support, and other social services.
A native of Nepal, Namrata brings extensive experience in community health initiatives on a global scale, specifically in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector. She has worked with a variety of influential international organizations projects, from UNICEF to USAID, as well as local entities such as Red Cross Nepal. This global experience has informed her approach to public health and given her a profound understanding of the importance of multi-sector partnerships, particularly in addressing issues like food insecurity.
Her ongoing work bridges healthcare and community resources, ensuring that food security is seen not only as a standalone issue but also as a fundamental part of health equity. Namrata’s leadership has strengthened the Alliance’s impact, fostering collaboration among community partners and healthcare providers to create a more resilient and food-secure region for all residents.
Stella Zhu (she/her)
About Stella
Stella is from Shenzhen, China, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with degrees in Sociology and Molecular & Cell Biology. She served on UC-Berkeley’s Basic Needs Committee and conducted immunology research at the National Institutes of Health before joining Fort Lewis College as its Basic Needs Coordinator in Spring 2022. Stella helps oversee campus basic needs initiatives and the campus food pantry, the Grub Hub, with an incredible group of student leaders.
As part of the Student Well-Being team, Stella seeks to foster a culture of care where every student has access to desirable and reliable food, and shelter, and a community that meets them where they are. She’s also involved with the La Plata County Food Equity Coalition and Colorado Higher Education Basic Needs Coalition.
Experiences in immigrant communities and mutual aid spaces that reimagine how we care for each other guide her commitment to culturally responsive models of food access, centering client choice and belonging. In her personal life, she enjoys disappearing into the mountains with her partner Nick and pup Puko, cuddling with her cat Ikalgo, and cooking good Chinese food.
Thái Nguyễn (chi/em, she/her)
About Thái
Thái – wife, proud mom of three amazing kids, and two playful fur babies – is on a mission as the fearless leader of Kaizen Food Rescue/Share, Denver’s very own “Food Tsar”!
A survivor of war atrocities and former unhoused youth, Thái has turned her past into power, wielding over 20 years of business savviness and six years of nonprofit hustle to bring nutritious food to her community. With her infectious energy and zest for life, she’s cooking up sustainable food systems alongside local partners and fighting for policies that honor her farming and immigrant roots.
She’s also involved with the Southwest Denver Food Coalition, Jefferson County Food Policy Council, Denver’s Sustainable Food Policy Council, and Mile High Farmers, as well as the USDA’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, Office of New Americans, Colorado Refugee Speakers’ Bureau, and the National Young Farmers Coalition as a Colorado Water Fellow.
When she’s not busy shaking up the food justice scene, you’ll find Thái paddle boarding, rock climbing, or hiking with her family – or brainstorming her next big adventure over a delicious dinner!