Known for my raspy low voice and passion for eating leftovers, I’m on a mission to get the world excited about building habits that are healthy for our bodies and our environment. I feel grateful to be part of school, government and grassroots advocacy work that is prioritizing the kinds of shifts that will (hopefully) allow our children and their children to enjoy snowy days, fire smoke-free summers, and the brilliance of a healthy coral reef on a snorkel trip!
I currently consult with the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, where I’m spearheading a zero waste schools conversion across five campuses. Before moving back to the New York area where I was born and raised, I worked as the Cooking & Gardening Teacher at DC’s first “green” public charter school. I had the privilege of helping students shovel brown and green “lasagna” layers in our school compost bins, create their own food justice campaigns, and much more. I pivoted to virtual instruction during COVID, and taught students how to crack eggs and make a stock bag in their own homes. I also took my teaching to the airwaves as the producer/host of Lunch Agenda, a radio show and podcast on Full Service Radio. Each episode was a virtual lunch date that offered listeners a chance to be educated by the best food teachers I know; a few guests you might recognize include Mark Bittman, Leah Penniman, and Marion Nestle.
As a marketing leader for the largest food access nonprofit in the DC region, I helped provide 12% of our neighbors with nutritious food and training to turn it into meals at home. I learned most of what I know about food and relationship-building as Marketing Director for San Francisco’s Bi-Rite, named “America’s most ambitious grocery” by Food + Wine.
I have an undergrad degree from Stanford University and a Degree in Food Journalism from the French Culinary Institute.
I believe that #foodisvaluable and that we have the power to fix our environment, revitalize neighborhoods, and reduce economic inequality all through eating right. I want my daughters to grow up in a world where chicken farms don't pollute the river next door, and where people throw cheese rinds into a homemade broth pot instead of the trash bin.
Don't be a stranger!
Kiko / @kikobuff / kbourne@gmail.com
