The FSLN Community Food Systems Mentorship Program proudly welcomes its 9th cohort, featuring 35 mentees from across the country!!

Meet the 2026 Mentee Cohort of the FSLN’s Community Food Systems Mentorship Program! This year, 35 mentees are paired with 12 dedicated mentors, forming a dynamic network of learning, collaboration, and leadership development across the U.S.

Now in its 9th cohort, the FSLN’s Mentorship Program connects community food systems leaders with seasoned practitioners who bring decades of lived experience and expertise. These relationships foster the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and resources, strengthening efforts to build more equitable and resilient, community-rooted food systems while supporting the next generation of leaders in our movement.

Representing 34 organizations across 21 states, this year’s cohort brings together farmer-focused networks, community food access initiatives, policy advocates, school nutrition and environmental leaders, reflecting a field that is both diverse and actively building toward equity, joy, resilience, and abundance. Over the coming months, mentors and mentees will engage, explore, and elevate their leadership and roles within the movement for food systems transformation.

Get to know this year’s mentors and mentees below!

Mentor

Angel Mendez

Executive Director, Red Tomato

Check out the three mentees working with Angel this year.

Bio

Alex R Figeroa-Stewart

Unadilla Community Farm Education Center

West Edmeston, NY

Javier Urenda Camacho

Adelante Mujeres

Forest Grove, OR

Kelly Key

LEAP

Roanoke, VA

Mentor

Karen Washington

Farmer, Advocate, Rise and Root Farm

Below are the mentees working with Karen this year.

Bio

Mariam Laila Malik

The Rooted East Knoxville Collective

Knoxville, TN

Martina Stanley

The WildRoot Collective

Clarkston, GA

Maya McDowell

SustainEd Farms

Denver, CO

Mentor

Bevelyn Afor Ukah

Co-Director of the Collective on Racial Equity (CORE), Artist, Justice Educator

Below are the mentees working with Bevelyn.

Bio

Chamear Davis

Mear Mae’s Meadow

South Charleston, WV

Jon White

Working Landscapes

Durham, NC

Michelle Hughes

National Young Farmers Coalition

Houston, TX

Mentor

Lydia Villanueva

Director/Founder of CASA del Llano, INC

Lydia will be mentoring the following mentees.

Bio

Acacia Lyncha

Fresh Approach

Concord, CA

Natalie Migliore

Plentiful

Jersey, NJ

Rita Mary Hennigan

UpRoot Colorado

Carbondale, CO

Mentor

Kamyar Enshayan

Director, Center for Energy & Environmental Education at University of Northern Iowa

Kamyar will work with the mentees below.

Bio

Amrita Khalsa

Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona

Tucson, AZ

Donna M Jackson

Mount Vernon City School District

Mount Vernon, NY

Sarah McGonagle

The Food Trust

Philadelphia, PA

Mentor

Miles Gordon

Principal, Kitchen Table Consulting

See the mentees that will be working with Miles below!

Bio

A. Victoria Scarangella

FRESHFARM

Washington, D.C.

Alex Walsh

Fair Food Network

Pittsburgh, PA

Samantha Gibb

Food Connect

Philadelphia, PA

Mentor

Nancy Creamer

Blue Cross and Blue Shield/WK Kellogg Distinguished Professor Emerita, NC State University and former CEFS Director, NC State University.

Check out who Nancy will be mentoring.

Bio

Eva Stricker

Quivira Coalition & University of New Mexico Biology Department

Albuquerque, NM

Sadie Willis

FairShare CSA Coalition

Madison, WI

Thomas Arminio

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Annapolis, MD

Mentor

Rich Pirog

Former Director for the Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University (MSU) through spring 2022 – currently enjoying life while doing a bit of food systems consulting

Rich will work with the following leaders.

Bio