Our Team

The people behind the produce.

Founders

Lisa Helfman

Founder & Board Chair

Lisa Helfman is the founder and board chair of Brighter Bites. In the fall of 2011,…

Shreela Sharma, PhD

Co-Founder

Dr. Shreela Sharma is the co-founder of Brighter Bites. Dr. Sharma is responsible for operationalizing the…

National Team

Amy Priebe

Director of Strategy and Partnerships

Amy Priebe is the sourcing manager for Brighter Bites. Based in Chicago, IL, Amy works closely with…

Azar Gaminian, MPH, CHES

Research Coordinator

Azar Gaminian, MPH, CHES® is the Research Coordinator at Brighter Bites. In her role, she supports…

Christina Blick Maynor

Senior Manager of Programming and Marketing

Christina Maynor is the senior manager of programming and marketing for Brighter Bites. She received her…

Gouri Kulkarni

Director of Finance

Gouri Kulkarni is the Director of Finance at Brighter Bites. She is a finance professional with…

Greg Bounds, MPH

Data Architect

Greg Bounds is the data architect at Brighter Bites. Greg has five years of data management…

Jacqueline Noyola

Manager of Education and Outreach

Jacqueline Noyola is the Brighter Bites manager of education and outreach. In her role, she collaborates…

Lisa Robertson

Grants Administrator

Lisa Robertson is the Grants Administrator at Brighter Bites. Having lived in three major Texas cities,…

Melissa McDonald

Director of Development

Melissa comes to Brighter Bites after many years with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a…

Mike Pomeroy, MPH

Vice President of Operations

Mike serves as vice president of operations of Brighter Bites, overseeing and directing programmatic aspects of…

Oria Oyedemi

Data Manager

Oria Oyedemi is the data manager at Brighter Bites. Oria comes to Brighter Bites with six…

Rich Dachman

Chief Executive Officer

Rich Dachman is the Chief Executive Officer of Brighter Bites. Rich comes to Brighter Bites with…

Samantha Rodriguez

Marketing Coordinator

Samantha Rodriguez is the Marketing Coordinator for Brighter Bites. Samantha graduated from Trinity University in San…

Stephanie Cox

Manager of Human Resources and Administration

Stephanie Cox planted herself in the HR field 20 years ago and has worked both in…

Regional Leadership

Megan Hall MPH, RD

Regional Program Director

Megan serves as the regional program director for Texas. In this role, she manages relationships with…

Katherine McMahon

Regional Program Director

Katherine McMahon is the regional program director in Los Angeles for Brighter Bites. Katherine received an…

Shey Hall

Northeast Regional Director

Shey Hall is the Northeast Regional Director in New York City. As a proud Bronx Native he…

Austin
Bakersfield
Dallas
Houston
Los Angeles
NYC
Salinas
San Antonio
Southwest Florida
Washington, D.C.

Dinorah Cano Santana

Program Coordinator

Dinorah is from Fort Worth, TX and grew up in the DFW metroplex. She graduated with…

Lori Hoadley

Senior Operations Coordinator

Lori Hoadley is the senior operations coordinator in Austin, Texas, where she helps manage day-to-day program…

Rebeca Hernandez Gonzalez

Senior Program Manager

Rebeca Hernandez Gonzalez is senior program manager for Brighter Bites in Austin. She received her undergraduate…

Veronica Cabrera

Program Coordinator

Veronica Cabrera is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Austin. She first discovered Brighter Bites…

Sonia Rodriguez

Senior Program Manager

Sonia Rodriguez is the senior program manager for Brighter Bites in Bakersfield. She moved to Bakersfield…

Adela Renteria

Program Coordinator

Adela spent her whole childhood playing soccer until she got a scholarship to a junior college.…

Briana Compton

Senior Program Coordinator

Briana Compton is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Dallas. She received her undergraduate degree…

Magaly Solis

Senior Program Manager

Magaly Solis is a senior program manager for Brighter Bites in Dallas. She has a passion…

Maryann Aguinaga

Senior Operations Coordinator

Maryann is a senior operations coordinator for Brighter Bites in Dallas. Maryann has been passionate for…

Sheryl Vicente

Program Coordinator

Sheryl Vicente graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington with a BA in Marketing and…

Alexander Rodriguez

Program Coordinator

Alexander Rodriguez is a native Houstonian with a wide array of food service and community outreach…

Anjanette Nikodym

Program Coordinator

Anjanette Nikodym is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. She began working with Brighter…

Ashton Connely

Program Coordinator

Ashton Connely is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston, Texas. Ashton was born in…

Barbara Segundo

Program Coordinator

Barbara Segundo is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. She was born and raised…

Déjà King

Program Coordinator

Déjà King is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. She was born and raised…

Gabby Halliday

Operations & Procurement Supervisor

Born in Durham, North Carolina into a Caribbean family and raised in Columbia, Maryland, Gabrielle’s life…

Jackie Delagarza

Program Coordinator

Jackie Delagarza is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. Jackie was not only born…

Juana Flores

Senior Program Coordinator

Juana Flores is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. She was born in Mexico…

Katie Degen

Senior Program Manager

Katie Degen is a program manager for Brighter Bites in Houston. She received her undergraduate degree…

Kayla Mizwa

Program Coordinator

Kayla Mizwa is a Program Coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. Kayla was born and raised in…

Michael Carpenter

Operations Supervisor

Michael Carpenter is a senior operations coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. Michael began his tenure…

Tessa Sweeney

Program Coordinator

Tessa Sweeney is a program coordinator on the Houston Brighter Bites team. She began her Brighter…

Thelma Green

Senior Program Manager

Thelma Green is a senior program manager for Brighter Bites in Houston. When she was two…

Tibisay Guzman

Senior Program Coordinator

Tibisay Guzman is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. She began her career at…

Ana Drake-Tripp

Program Coordinator

Ana Drake-Tripp is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites Los Angeles. Ana completed her undergraduate degree…

Tami Chipeco

Senior Program Manager

Tami Chipeco is the program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Los Angeles. After receiving her Bachelors…

Alex Rodriguez

Program Coordinator

Alexander D. Rodriguez is a Program Coordinator for Brighter Bites New York City. Alex is a…

Carlos Terrones

Program Coordinator

Carlos Terrones is a program coordinator in New York City. Carlos spent the early years of…

Gina Flores

Senior Program Manager

Gina Flores is the Senior Program Manager for Brighter Bites in NYC. A true New Yorker,…

Jason Engongoro

Senior Operations Coordinator

Jason Engongoro is a Senior Program Coordinator for Brighter Bites New York City. Jason is a…

Ricky Delgado

Program Coordinator

Ricky Delgado is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites New York City. Ricky is a proud…

Alicia Blanco

Senior Program Manager

Alicia is the Senior Program Manager for Brighter Bites based out of the Salinas Valley in…

Lorena Perez

Program Coordinator

Lorena Perez is a Program Coordinator for the Salinas Team. Lorena worked in the agriculture industry…

Nancy Bernal

Program Coordinator

Nancy Bernal is a Program Coordinator with the Salinas team. Having discovered Brighter Bites during an…

Elizabeth Velarde, MPH

Senior Program Manager

Originally from Dallas, TX, Elizabeth moved to San Antonio after completing her MPH degree. Elizabeth has…

Mallory Nicole Bove, MPH

Program Coordinator

Mallory Bove is a native San Antonian. She recently moved back after living in the Austin…

Clarissa Sarsama, MPH

Senior Program Manager

Clarissa is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Southwest Florida. She has worked in rural…

Leidy Vassell

Program Coordinator

Leidy Vassell is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites. She received a Bachelors of Science from…

Natalie Zamudio

Program Coordinator

Natalie Zamudio is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Southwest Florida. Upon receiving her Bachelor…

Emily Owen

Senior Program Manager

Emily Owen is a senior program manager on the Brighter Bites Washington, D.C. team. Emily has…

Geraldine Menjivar

Program Coordinator

Geraldine Menjivar is a program coordinator form Brighter Bites in the Washington, DC metro area. After…

Rajni Sood Laurent

Senior Program Coordinator

Senior Program Coordinator Rajni Sood Laurent is a mom, baker, and lover of fresh foods. She…

Sasha Ledesma

Senior Operations Coordinator

Sasha Ledesma is the Senior Operations Coordinator for Brighter Bites in Washington, D.C. She was born…

The Fruit Loop

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Mar 23

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We would like to say thanks shallot to our monthly donors. Your support allows us to continue putting smiles on children's faces as we share fresh #fruits and #vegetables with #BrighterBites families🥭🥦.

You can help spread the joy of fresh food across the nation by becoming a Brighter Bites monthly donor today. 🥰Click the link in bio to join us as a monthly donor!

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Mar 22

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Mar 21

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What better way to celebrate the beginning of spring than with some delicious mangoes🧡? These tropical #fruits are packed with vitamins A & C, and their sweet flavor can brighten up many recipes. We think they are mango-nificent for our Tropical Treat Smoothie🏝️!

🧑‍🍳Click the link in bio to recreate the Tropical Treat Smoothie for your family👆

🥭What's your favorite way to enjoy mangoes in your house?

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Mar 20

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Want to add some nutritious veggies to your family’s plates🥦🍽️? This #VeggieLasagna is packed with nutritious #vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, squash, and more! Not to mention it has a delicious flavor! 👀Click the link in bio to create your own Veggie Lasagna using the #BrighterBites #healthyrecipe 👆

Brighter Bites shares kid-friendly, healthy recipes like this with the students and families we serve to create communities of health through fresh food. Learn more about how you can be a part at www.brighterbites.org.

Share this post to celebrate National Nutrition Month and to spread the word!

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Mar 17

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Don't forget to #drinkyourgreens today🥬! We say our Island Breeze Smoothie is the perfect way to sip on some greens for good luck🍍🥥🍀! Click the link in our bio for full recipe💚👆.

What are some green foods you are adding to your plate today?

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Mar 16

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Mar 15

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Looking for a healthy dessert option🍰? These Un”beet”able Brownies are sure to beet the competition! Did we mention they are free of processed sugars? Your family is sure to enjoy this decadent dessert that includes a serving of nutritious #vegetables 🥬! Click the link in bio for full recipe👆

Brighter Bites shares healthy recipes like this with the families we serve to create communities of health through fresh food. You can find this recipe & ways you can get involved at www.brighterbtes.org.

Share this post to celebrate National Nutrition Month and to spread the word!

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Mar 14

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Mar 13

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Mar 10

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Did you know children need to eat at least 3 servings of #vegetables and 2-3 servings of #fruits every day? This makes a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables is high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, antioxidants, and folate. Every fruit and vegetable provides different vitamins and minerals, so aim for variety and mix it up! 👆Click link in bio to see more healthy tips like these!

Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that is providing fresh produce along with #nutritioneducation to families under-resourced communities. We are making big impact in the lives of the students and families we serve! See more about Brighter Bites, our mission, and how you can be a part at www.brighterbites.org.

Share this post to celebrate National Nutrition Month and to spread the word!

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Mar 9

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Mar 1

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Mar 1

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If we have not met yet, hello!👋We are a national nutrition education nonprofit that is creating communities of health through fresh food🥦🍎. We provide free fresh fruits and vegetables alongside nutrition education and healthy tips and tools to the families we serve across the country. To celebrate #NationalNutritionMonth and spread our message, we are sharing #healthyrecipes and tip sheets with our community. Stay tuned and follow along as we share these over the next month!

#BrighterBites #Nonprofit #NutritionEducation #Fruits #Vegetables

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Feb 28

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Whether they are sweet or sour, we say lemons are citrus-ly the best😋🍋! These vibrant #fruits are packed with vitamin C, and their tart flavor can brighten up many recipes. Enjoy lemons in refreshing #lemonwater , or add them to salad dressings and smoothies💛.

For more info on lemons click link in bio👆

🧑‍🍳How do you use lemons in your kitchen?

#BrighterBites #NutritionEducation #Nonprofit #Vegetables

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Feb 27

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Starting out the week with bright eyes and fresh minds☀️.
#BrighterBites provides free #nutritioneducation materials in addition to #fruits and #vegetables for families that participate in our program🍅🥦. All nutrition ed materials are linked to the students' in-class nutrition lessons from @catch_health and other evidence-based health programs🍎📔✏️.

#Nonprofit