Before joining the Alice Waters Institute, Jennifer spent most of her culinary career working with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse as a cook, co-chef, and General Manager as well as supporting Alice’s global projects and programs in edible education. Jennifer spent 10 years developing food product lines at scale for Rock Field, Japan, Ltd. She has served on the board and was the Culinary Director at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, a 30 acre educational farm and culinary program, and currently serves on the board of Chez Panisse Restaurant.
Archives: People
Hannah Behrendt
Hannah has dedicated over a decade to the field of macro-level social work, specializing in advocacy, outreach, and community engagement. Passionate about sustainability, Hannah integrates a commitment to environmental impact into her personal and professional life. She believes in the power of individuals to create meaningful change while recognizing the critical role corporations and governments play in driving systemic solutions. Hannah is devoted to empowering communities to take action and championing environmental advocacy for a more sustainable future.
Gabriela Nahm
Gabriela is currently a Program Coordinator at Salzburg Global Seminar in Washington, D.C. after graduating in May from Davidson College with honors in environmental studies. She has worked for Turning Green in various capacities since starting in the summer of 2021: as a communications intern, PGC Course Teaching Assistant, Turning Green Fellow, Conscious Kitchen Fellow, and most recently, as a Program Coordinator. She is a passionate, curious, and empathetic individual who cares deeply about building stronger relationships with her communities, the planet, and herself. She is eternally grateful for her journey with Turning Green that has transformed her into the person she is today, and she will continue to return whenever she can to support their deeply meaningful work. Whenever she can, she enjoys reading, connecting with people in coffee shops, and walking through Rock Creek Park.
Mary Jane Chandler
Mary Jane is currently the Program Officer for World Wildlife Fund’s Food Waste Warrior Program, leading K-12 schools across the U.S. in reducing cafeteria food waste through education and analysis. She brings 5 years of prior experience in community organizing, education, and food systems, including roles as a middle and high school science teacher in Guinea with the Peace Corps and as a community economic development liaison in Turkey. With an MSc. in Food Studies from Syracuse University, Mary Jane specializes in regional food systems, focusing on community-driven food waste reduction and recovery, food education, and advocating for regional food policies.
Rachel Lee
Rachel is a committed, collaborative, and community-oriented senior at Jericho High School. She was a Project Green Finalist in 2022, where she created composting bins and student presentation courses for her school. Passionate about environmental health, she actively incorporates sustainable practices into her daily life. Her dedication to environmental issues drives her efforts towards a greener world. In the future, Rachel aims to pursue further education in sustainability and public health, driven by her interest for the environment and communities.
Taylor Lee
Taylor has been in the Natural Foods Industry for over a decade working with companies whose primary goal is to grow acreage for organic and regenerative organic agriculture. He currently leads Sales at Patagonia Provisions, the food and beer arm of Patagonia, whose mission is to save our home planet. Previously, he led Sales Strategy at Clif Bar & Company while leading a task force that trained and equipped the sales team to have impactful conversation around climate and clean energy with retailers to shift consumer behavior.
Taylor graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Global Economics. He currently lives in San Francisco and spends most of his free time on the trails around the Bay Area and the Sierras. He’s passionate about building and nourishing community and is currently an active member of the ALS Network.
Alexa Fraiman
Alexa is a junior at Bryn Mawr College, majoring in Environmental Studies and Sociology. She is passionate about understanding the intricate connections between society and the environment. Throughout PGC 2024, Alexa has been inspired by the next generation of climate leaders and is eager to contribute to building a world that supports everyone’s well-being. She is committed to exploring both individual and collective responses to the climate crisis for a resilient future.
Kat Nguyen
Kat is a senior at UC Berkeley, studying Data Science, GIS, and Sustainable Design. She first became involved with Turning Green in 2020 as a PGC Finalist, where she created a native pollinator garden at her high school to foster community and promote biodiversity. Since then, she has continued her engagement with Turning Green as a Summer Intern, Campus Rep, and PGC Challenge reader, and she is excited to return as an Ambassador for the fourth time. In her free time, she enjoys teaching yoga and fostering cats.
Aiden Son
Aiden is a dedicated high school senior at Palo Alto High School with a passion for sustainability. As a 2023 PGC Finalist, he is committed to environmental stewardship and aims to make a positive impact on his community and beyond.
Manfred Lim
Manfred is a senior at Jericho High School and a 2023 Project Green Challenge finalist with a strong commitment to environmental advocacy. He conducts research at Cornell University, where he applies machine learning to address urgent issues in environmental science and policy. Outside of academics, Manfred takes a hands-on approach to sustainability and strives to inspire community action.
