Born and raised in Fresno, California, Jenny graduated from Stanford University in 2012 with a degree in interdisciplinary earth systems science. At Stanford, Jenny designed and facilitated a seminar on the food system, helped launch the student-led podcast Generation Anthropocene, and campaigned for a campus farm. With the Brooklyn Food Coalition and Community Food Funders, Jenny advocated for NYC food chain workers' rights and helped lay the groundwork for a regional food systems planning process. Jenny served as a 2012 Tom Ford Fellow in Philanthropy at the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, where she provided support to grassroots food justice organizations nationally.
Field placement: Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Jenny developed outcome measurement systems for Las Milpitas de Cottonwood, a six-acre community farm in Tucson that works to increase community food security, foster community economic development, and encourage community capacity building. In addition to developing a suite of tools for program assessment, Jenny supported food production and community organizing at Las Milpitas de Cottonwood.
Policy placement: PolicyLink
Washington, D.C.
Jenny researched and authored fact sheets, reports, and profiles about federal food and transportation policies that benefit low-income communities and communities of color. She supported the PolicyLink food access team in advocating for equitable implementation of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) and wrote a guide to passing equitable public policies using HFFI as a case study. Jenny helped develop the new Healthy Food Access Portal and supported the work of the Transportation Equity Caucus.