Team
We're creative, results-oriented individuals who are passionate about food education.
Jasmin Alim
Program Manager
P.S./M.S. 7
Liza Engelberg
Director of Education
About
Liza comes to Edible Schoolyard NYC after many years as a classroom teacher of both children and adults, and trains our educators to become better teachers themselves. She is currently trying to perfect the kale pesto recipe she learned in a kitchen class at PS 216.
Favorite Cookbook
Marcella Hazan: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Dan Feder
Program Manager,
P.S. 216
About
Dan comes to Edible Schoolyard NYC from the culinary world. Prior to 2012, Dan had a brief stint in the nonprofit development world before leaving to attend culinary school and cook professionally in New York City restaurants. Fortunately he found his way to Edible Schoolyard NYC at P.S. 216, where he happily remains to this very day.
Favorite Cookbook
Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food
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Pronouns: He/Him/His
Cecilia Galarraga
Garden Teacher,
P.S. 216
About
Cecilia has been teaching in parks and gardens for several years in NYC. She can most likely be found looking for ladybugs in the asparagus bed or taking a nap next to the basil.
Favorite Cookbook
The Joy of Cooking
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Felicia Gane
FoodCorps Service Member
P.S. 109 Sedgwick
About
Felicia grew up in Niagara County NY and now resides in Westchester County. She is a Culinary Institute of America graduate. Her favorite things to do are hike with my dogs, spend time with her family, and read a good book. She is extremely passionate about sustainable agriculture and fighting for climate justice. In her spare time she usually in the kitchen or in the woods exploring nature.
Favorite Cookbook
The Joy of Cooking
Get in Touch
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Hannah Golub
Garden Teacher,
P.S. 216
About
Originally from Houston, TX, Hannah is new to New York City and is very excited to join the ESYNYC team. Hannah loves cooking, gardening, being outdoors, and eating dark chocolate chips by the handful. Prior to joining the P.S.216 team, Hannah attended college in Maine and taught workshops on urban farms in Brooklyn.
Veggie Alter Ego
Sweet Potato
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Pronouns: She/They/Them
Leonisa Johnson
Educator/Program Manager,
Evergreen School for Urban Exploration and Brooklyn Gardens Elementary
About
Leonisa has almost a decade of experience designing, teaching and managing youth centered food education programs in New York City. Leonisa is passionate about providing students with opportunities to expand their knowledge of the interconnectedness between food, culture and history. She spent 4 years as a Kitchen teacher and is currently a Program Manager with Edible Schoolyard NYC. A native New Yorker, Leonisa has always enjoyed cooking, discovering new restaurants and spending time around the table with friends and family.
Happy Place
The beach
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Anthony Jones
Garden Teacher,
P.S./M.S. 7
About
Originally from New Rochelle, NY, Anthony grew up with a love for getting his hands dirty. After studying Environmental Science, Anthony worked in the mountains of California to reconnect students from urban areas to the outdoors. In addition to his experience in outdoor education, Anthony has also worked alongside local community members to promote healthier eating habits. Anthony is passionate about garden-to-table education and encouraging others to eat their fruits and veggies. He is ecstatic about working with NYC students to inspire, grow and eat fresh food. When he doesn’t have his hands deep in compost, Anthony can be found in Barbados, scuba diving, rescuing sea turtles and relaxing on white sand beaches.
Veggie Alter Ego
Butternut Squash
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Pronouns: He/Him/His
Paloma Jones
Garden and Kitchen Educator
Evergreen School for Urban Exploration
About
Paloma is a proud native New Yorker, born and raised in Queens. After earning two Bachelor’s degrees, a BA in psychology from NYU and a BS in nutrition and dietetics from Queens College, Paloma is looking forward to bringing her knowledge to her role as Garden and Kitchen Educator in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Her enthusiasm for food and nutrition, are a big part of what have brought her to Edible Schoolyard NYC, where she’s excited to share her passion for food and nutrition to NYC students. In her free time she can be found enjoying all the amazing food the city has to offer.
Favorite Cookbook
Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman
Get in Touch
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Ingrit Kola
Garden and Kitchen Teacher,
P.S./M.S. 7
About
Growing up overseas and in a very traditional family, Ingrit learned the importance of gardening and cooking. After moving to the states, Ingrit decided to pursue cooking professionally and restaurant management. Ingrit bonded and learned so much from her mom and grandmother while making their famous burek dish. She fell in love with food, farmers markets, restaurants. The opportunity to share this love of food with kids drew her to ESYNYC.
Happy Place
My mom’s kitchen
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Silaka Lugo
Finance and Operations Manager
About
Silaka is a native Brooklynite who has been working with nonprofits for nearly a decade. During this time, she helped build a half acre community garden and has provided fiscal support to nearly two dozen organizations. Silaka is passionate about access to food, especially for New Yorkers living in isolated and underserved communities, which drew her to ESYNYC’s mission.
Veggie Alter Ego
Red Onion
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Ally Miller
Institutional Giving Manager
About
Ally joins the Edible Schoolyard NYC team as a former educator, sustainability advocate, and farmer’s market enthusiast. She is passionate about cultivating a more equitable and greener food culture in NYC and beyond. You can find her scrolling food blogs and exploring urban green spaces.
Veggie Alter Ego
Amish Paste Tomato
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Shanon Morris
Executive Director
About
Shanon is a registered dietitian who has dedicated her career to working with communities to make to make nutrition relatable, accessible, and enjoyable for all, and was named by Hunter College as one of 40 under 40 rising stars in New York City food policy in 2020 . She is also the author of MC Veggie Rocks the Mic, a children’s book that mixes nutrition and hip-hop to make learning about food, healthy habits, and cooking fun. She is a proud alumna of Howard University and Columbia University, where she studied both Nutrition and Exercise Science.
Happy Place
On a beach, eating a fresh mango
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Ellen Okamoto
Senior Manager, Events and Engagement
About
Ellen’s roots are in the mangrove forests and citrus groves of Southwest Florida. She was drawn to New York in 2008, and her hospitality experience at Union Square Hospitality Group and Eleven Madison Park instilled in her a deep love for the NYC community, food justice and a need to get involved.
Veggie Alter Ego
Bird chili
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Lily Parmanan
FoodCorps Service Member
P.S. 311, Lucero
Ryan Renaud
Educator/Program Manager,
Bronx Network Sites
About
Ryan comes to NYC from Texas, where he grew up around a family of educators and good food. After attending Columbia University for nutrition and becoming a Registered Dietitian, Ryan spent time at GrowNYC and Children’s Aid Society working with seed-to-plate and food justice programs. With a background in research, Ryan is as likely to be found reading a journal article as searching for the best new restaurant in town.
Favorite Cookbook
The Flavor Bible
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Pronouns: He/Him/His
Neida Rodriguez
FoodCorps Service Member
Brooklyn Gardens Elementary School
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Raili Sharp
FoodCorps Service Member
Brighter Choice Community School
About
Raili, originally from western Massachusetts, graduated from Macalester College in May 2021 where she studied Environmental Studies, Educational Studies, and Community and Global Health. She has extensive experience with children and interned with multiple environmental nonprofits during her four years in Minnesota. In her free time Raili loves spending time outdoors, spending time with family and friends, making art, snacking, and exploring new places.
Happy Place
Hiking in the woods!
Get in Touch
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Jessica Tartanian
Senior Evaluation Manager
About
Jessie didn’t know that her four years of mandatory agricultural tech classes in school would come in handy. Now with a Master’s in Public Health and over 15 years of designing, leading, and training others to lead edible education programs with young people, she is delighted to be measuring impact and helping Edible Schoolyard NYC find new ways to make a difference in our school communities. Jessie is also a proud board member of Baltimore Area Evaluators. She and her family live in Pennsylvania and travel back to Brooklyn for work and play often.
Veggie Alter Ego
Aubergine
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Mirem Villamil
Head Garden Manager
About
Decades after leaving the beaches of Puerto Rico to become a set designer in Barcelona, Mirem switched to garden design (specifically for school gardens) in New York City. She is a mother of two young and experimental cooks.
Favorite Cookbook
Cocina Criolla, the classic by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli – my grandmother cooked from this book.
Get in Touch
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Neysa Yoon-Cho
Vice President of Development & External Affairs
About
Over the last seventeen years, Neysa has worked with a number of nonprofit organizations whose missions serve to support and expand equity, access, and opportunities for young people in New York City and beyond. Most recently, she led the external affairs team at Teach For America New York and the development team at NAF, formerly the National Academy Foundation. Neysa lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
Happy Place
Reading “nooks” with my kids
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Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
