Board and Advisors

Board of Directors

Daniel Capra is Partner and Executive Chef of Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, where for the past 22 years he and his team of chefs have been creating culinary experiences on par with the highest standards of fine dining restaurants. A native Virginian, Daniel spent time mastering his craft in Virginia Beach, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, before landing in the Bay Area. He oversees the company’s organic garden in St. Helena, incorporating produce from the garden in his seasonal menus, and works with his staff to maintain and develop environmental and sustainable kitchen practices. He has partnered with Foodwise for over a decade, as a participating chef at both Foodwise Summer Bash and Sunday Supper, as well as hosting cooking demos at Foodwise farmers markets.

Marty Cepkauskas is the Senior Director of Real Estate for the Western Properties Division of the Hearst Corporation. He is responsible for the real estate management of Hearst’s sustainable agricultural properties in California and commercial buildings in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Marty completed one of the largest agricultural conservation transactions in California with the American Land Conservancy for preserving the historic 82,000-acre Hearst Ranch at San Simeon, which received the Governor’s Environmental Award in 2006. He was also involved with the startup of the Hearst Ranch grass-fed, all-natural beef program and Hearst Ranch Wines. Marty earned a MBA from Saint Mary’s College, a MS in Construction Management from UC Berkeley, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Union College. He has worked in San Francisco since 1991, and currently lives in San Francisco with his wife, Allison.

Jamie Chan worked for 14 years at San Francisco State University (SFSU) where she served as Operations Director for the Center for Science and Math Education. Jamie received a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration, M.S. in systematic biology in partnership at the California Academy of Sciences and B.S. in zoology from SFSU. Her current research is focused on integrating STEM teaching, anti-racist organizational practices, and climate/food justice. As a Master Gardener, she co-founded a food security project in SF called Sisterhood Gardens and is co-owner of Fog City Gardener, a garden education firm. Jamie is passionate about gardens as places for education and social activism. Currently she serves as director of programs and partnerships at The Gardens of Golden Gate Park and adjunct professor in teacher education at SFSU. She believes public gardens tell a story about the rich biological and cultural stories of our communities and sees the potential gardens hold to shape mankind for a more sustainable future. She lives in SF with her partner and two children.

Aomboon Deasy is the General Manager/Proprietor of K&J Orchards, a family-owned farm founded in 1982 and located in California’s Central Valley. One of K&J’s first customers was The French Laundry. Today, K&J partners with over 150 restaurants in the Bay Area, working directly with chefs and owners. Aomboon also consults in manufacturing and operations across multiple industries (e.g., apparel, food, hard goods, and CPG). She also regularly participates on panels in the agriculture and horticulture industry. Born in Bangkok, Aomboon was raised in Sacramento. She received her Master’s in Project Management from USF. In her spare time, Aomboon loves cooking, photography, and enjoying local cuisine.

Andrew Freeman is president of Andrew Freeman & Co., an innovative restaurant and hospitality consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco that offers marketing, public relations, and creative services to clients across the country. Prior to opening AF&Co, Andrew was Vice President of Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants. A dedicated philanthropist, Andrew sits on the boards of Foodwise, Dress for Success San Francisco, and The Richmond Ermet AIDS Foundation. He is a former board member of Meals on Wheels San Francisco, the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Anti-Defamation League, and was an advisor for the American Airlines LGBT committee. In 2016 and 2017, AF&Co. was named by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the Top 50 LGBT-Owned Businesses in the Bay Area. Andrew is a contributor to numerous industry magazines and blogs and guest speaker at industry conferences. He resides in San Francisco with his gorgeous yorkies Tulip and Daisy.

Marie Trimble Holvick is the Assistant Managing Partner of the Bay Area Offices of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP. Marie specializes in employment law. She counsels employers on employment and human resources issues, conducts sexual harassment trainings, prepares employee handbooks, and presents on “best practices” for employers. Marie also defends employers in high-stakes litigation, including claims of wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, wage-related claims, ADA access claims, and Labor Code 132a claims. Marie is passionate about food and wine.  She uses this passion to help defend restaurants and agricultural clients in employment-related litigation. Marie is a regular shopper at Foodwise’s Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Nkechi Ihuegbu is the Global Anti-bribery Compliance Lead and Corporate Counsel at Google. In her role, she is responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring Alphabet’s global anti-bribery compliance program and strategy. Nkechi is an investor in Yellow Moto Pizzeria in San Francisco, a restaurant that is dedicated to supporting farmers and sources ingredients from local farmers markets. She is of Nigerian origin, and was raised in a family where food was a means of creating, cultivating, and maintaining community. In her spare time, Nkechi enjoys traveling, hosting dinner parties, experimenting with new recipes, and collecting vintage vinyl records. Her two favorite dishes to cook are spinach lasagna and Thai shrimp coconut curry with steamed or grilled veggies. Nkechi is fluent in French, and received her undergraduate degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, and her JD from Howard University School of Law.

Nafis Jamal grew up in suburban Louisiana and was raised on Bangladeshi food and the occasional crawfish boil. He studied physics and electrical engineering at Stanford University, and later went to culinary school in New York. He has been Co-Founder/CTO at Mopub, Director of Engineering at Twitter, and Director of Product at Lime. Nafis is in the early stages of a restaurant concept bringing together his French culinary arts training, penchant for great local ingredients, Bangladeshi heritage, and Louisiana upbringing. 

Stacy Jed is the co-founder and Creative Marketing Director for Amuse Management Group and Bluestem Brasserie, an award-wining, modern American brasserie in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Stacy brings more than 20 years of business leadership in areas of marketing, design, and event management that span the restaurant, hotel, and tech industry. She received her degree in psychology from San Francisco State University and a degree in interior architecture from California College of the Arts. Stacy credits her love for food and the restaurant industry to her Italian roots and her family restaurants and lounge in San Francisco, including Gino’s and Station J. Stacy sits as vice president on the Board of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. She currently resides in San Francisco’s Mira Loma Park locale with her husband and business partner, Adam, and their dog, Lola.

Farmers market enthusiast and avid cook Danian Peo has been a lover of fresh produce since his South African childhood. He has lived in San Francisco for the past 30 years and has his MSc in Financial Analysis from the University of San Francisco. He joined the Foodwise board to lend his financial expertise. When he is not searching for the perfect peach or the most delicious mulberries at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, he is helping clients in the Bay Area and beyond realize their financial goals through his financial advisory practice.

Aaron Tidman is Global Compliance Counsel for Pinterest, where he is responsible for growing a strong ethical culture, providing legal advice and strategic support, and partnering with a wide range of cross-functional teams to coordinate and implement compliance initiatives. Aaron is deeply passionate about the hospitality industry and sustainable agriculture, and is currently an investor in two Bay Area restaurants that are committed to sustainable food practices and shopping at the Foodwise farmers markets. Aaron’s also passionate about pro bono work, public service, and fighting for LGBTQ rights and women’s rights. He’s originally from Washington, DC, and moved to San Francisco in 2015 with his husband Christopher and their fat orange tabby cat. In his free time, Aaron enjoys eating out and trying new restaurants, shopping the farmers market and cooking, making his own cocktail bitters at home, reading fantasy novels, and traveling the world. Aaron earned a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Syracuse University College of Law. 

Anand Upadhye is a tech entrepreneur interested in improving the legal industry.  He is the co-founder and CEO of AlphaLit, a legal tech startup.  Before that, he led the go-to-market effort for the first AI-powered tool for lawyers.  Anand started his career as a prosecutor at the San Francisco DA’s office, later practicing law at a big firm.  Anand lives in San Francisco with his wife, who originally introduced him to the spendors of Ferry Plaza Farmers Market cult favorite, Primavera.  Since then, his Saturdays haven’t felt like Saturdays without the crunch of their superb chilaquiles.  You can also find Anand enjoying the Indonesian pandan-coconut mochi layer cake from Nusa or splitting a slice of Three Babes strawberry rhubarb crumble.  In his free time, Anand is an avid wine collector, restaurant-goer, and business-book-reader.  He’s inspired by the Foodwise mission to support the next generation of farmers, educate kids on the virtues of eating fresh food, and provide world-class fruits and vegetables to the City of San Francisco.  Anand received his Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, and his law degree from the University of San Diego.

Dilan Urun is the Managing Partner of Les Partenaires Ottomans, a real estate development consultancy firm. She has over 20 years of industry experience. She helps real estate developers, sales & marketing companies, private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, and high-net worth individuals invest and grow their portfolios and projects. She is also an expert in fundraising, sales, and marketing in new construction developments. Dilan is in the leadership circle of Commonwealth Club of California, is a leader with SPUR, and a member of ULI, World Affairs Council of Northern California, and Global Real Estate Institute. She earned a BA in English Literature from Ege University in Turkey and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Golden Gate University. She speaks Turkish and English. She has been living in San Francisco for the past 23 years and enjoys travelling around the world, reading non-fiction, cooking, watching spy movies, and supporting startup companies in the tech industry as an angel investor.

Toyia Wortham is Executive Assistant to the Vice President/General Manager of the Western Properties Division of the Hearst Corporation. A special events project manager for almost 30 years, Toyia pairs that career with her 30+ years as a Singing Wedding Coordinator. Born and raised in San Francisco, she has been around farmers markets all her life. Growing up in San Francisco’s Cole Valley District, Toyia graduated from Lowell High School and went on to graduate from San Francisco State University earning her B.A. in Broadcast Communications Arts (BCA), where she coordinated the 1st BCA Dept. graduation and reception. She also minored in Music and has sung the National Anthem for Mayors, Governors and at various sporting events including a Giants/Dodgers Game. Toyia enjoys frequenting farmers markets whether she’s shopping for produce and local wares or performing on a farmers market stage. She loves cooking Paleo-Friendly meals for herself, friends, and family.

Advisory Committees

Communications Committee

Kayla Abe, Shuggie’s Trash Pie and Ugly Pickle Co.
Laiko Bahrs, PR
Haven Bourque, Haven B Media
Cathy Curtis, Curtis Financial Planning
Jane Connors, Ferry Building Marketplace
Dana Eastland, Practical Media Inc.
Andrew Freeman, AF&Co.; Foodwise Board of Directors
Liza Johnson, Postcard Communications
Lisa Nourse, LNPR

Education Committee

Monica Bhagwan, Leah’s Pantry
Danielle Boule, Leah’s Pantry
Anna Derivi-Castellanos, Kitchentown
Shelley Dyer, TNDC Healthy Corner Store Coalition
Meredith Essalat, Mission Dolores Academy
Katie Ettman, SPUR
Mackenzie Feldman, Pesticide Action Network, Food Systems  Berkeley
Asia Hampton, HOPE Collaborative
Saeeda Hafiz, Foodwise Board of Directors
Nina Ichikawa, Berkeley Food Institute
Kelly Kozak, Food Studies MA Candidate, Bernal Cutlery & Homeless Prenatal Project
Vanessa Lieu, SNS SFUSD
Allison Mortimer, Nutritionist
Tiffani Patton, Real Food Media
Jade Rivera, SNS SFUSD
Daniella Sawaya Kitchen, Table Advisors
Sarah Skinker, TNDC Urban Garden Director

Events Committee

Aaron Toensing, Maybeck’s
Daniel Capra, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events
Emily Rogan, Hudson Pacific Properties
Heather Rice, Heather Rice Events
Jacob Bindman, SF New Deal
Jared Murray, Mommenpop
Jill Koenen, Bon Appetit Management Company
Kory Cogdill, 10,000 Degrees
Laurel Robinson, Poppy
Lillian Brauner, Hudson Pacific Properties
Madeline Janning, M. Janning Communications
Madison Ginnett, MG Communications
Michael Pierce
Michelle Minori, Local Freelance Chef
Natalia Kaminski, Subject to Change Wine Co.
Nora Furst, West Beverage Co.
Pamela Mazzola, Prospect
Sonia Morris, Batter Bakery & Mesquite Provisions
Taira Kater, Foxtail Catering
Thom Fox, Bon Appetit Management Company

Host Committee

Andrew Freeman, AF&Co.
Cathy Curtis, Curtis Financial Planning
Dilan Urun, Les Partenaires Ottomans
Heather Rice, Heather Rice Events
Jaime Forman-Lau
Jessie Barker, Media Noch
Karen James
Kory Cogdill, 10,000 Degrees
Laurel Robinson, Poppy
Leila Afshar
Leslie Gay
Marlo Cruz-Sands
Meredith Essalat
Nkechi Iheme, Google
Righter Kunkel
Shirley-May Soong