Sydney Cheng is passionate about sustainability, innovation, and technology. Through her work for sustainable companies, volunteer work for nonprofit organizations, a summer spent at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, personal projects dedicated to sustainability and innovation, and programs at the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute, Sydney has developed a desire to use business to accelerate the world towards sustainability fueled by innovation.

Sydney is a junior at NYU Stern School of Business studying marketing and computing and data science with a minor in psychology. Outside of school, she enjoys rock climbing, cooking/baking, and food photography.

Michael Conway is a graduate of Bard College's MBA in Sustainability program and has over ten years of experience in business development, education, and entrepreneurship. Michael's entrepreneurial journey began in Chile where he co-founded an English Language Institute after volunteering for a year with underprivileged high school students. Michael is most proud of the CSR initiatives he led with his business to serve underfunded schools and communities. After returning to NYC Michael got certified as a Holistic Health Coach and is eager to work with food entrepreneurs disrupting the broken food system. He is fluent in Spanish and loves to travel, do yoga, and surf the south shore of Long Island.

Lauren Rodriguez is a junior at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study concentrating in Sustainable Economics and Business Studies. Lauren’s education has focused on contextualizing the environmental and global inequality crisis through coursework in economics, politics, business, social analysis and food studies. In being a fellow for FoodFutureCo, she hopes to learn how venture capital can foster an ecosystem of firms that value social and environmental health alongside profit.

Lauren has worked across the public, private and civil sectors, and has held positions within the United States Department of State, AmTrust Financial Services and the Jewish Community Center. This summer, she will continue her exploration of financial institutions as agents of change as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst at J.P. Morgan Chase and Co.

Outside of the office or classroom, you can find Lauren skateboarding along the Hudson River or journaling in Washington Square Park.

Andrei Stoica owes his passion for food and environment to his mother. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he would help her cook meals for 5-7 people every day throughout his childhood. As he became older, he began to experiment with his own recipes, inventing new ways to serve food, coffee and tea for his family.

To date, Andrei has worked in accelerators, investment funds, and various startups. He is now a student at NYU, where he is pursuing an individualized major in Business, Data Science, and Design.

Jemma Wu graduated from New York University in May 2020 with a master’s degree in business strategy and emerging technologies. Prior to grad school, she had extensive experience working on both the business and creative sides of the luxury fashion industry for two and a half years. During her time at NYU she was working part-time for an AI company meanwhile conducting research on her thesis - the research is focusing on identifying the current states and analyzing the future of technology-driven consumerist societies in major economies based on the broader view from the rapid development of globalization.

At an early age, Jemma came to New York to study at Parsons School of Design and later received her BFA in 2017. She is enthusiastic about sustainability, impact investing in lifestyle industries, and is always excited about new projects and challenges.

In addition to being a designer and strategist, Jemma has a wide range of hobbies outside of work including painting, yoga, boxing, and skiing.

Alex Stoczko is a candidate for a Master of Arts in Food Studies with a concentration in Business & Social Entrepreneurship at NYU’s Steinhardt School. Since 2017, Alex has worked as a consultant for a law firm in NYC that specializes in commercial litigation and business advisory. He also co-manages operations at the law firm’s offshore office in Hyderabad, India.

A lifelong foodie, he is committed to creating a healthier and more sustainable food system through equal opportunity and innovation. He is passionate about the next generation of food companies and is excited to be a part of the Food Future team.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and French with honors from Trinity College, where he was a member of the varsity men’s rowing team and the investment club.

On the weekends, you can find him roaming around the NYC Greenmarkets, running in Central Park or trying out new recipes.

Raquel is a product designer and strategist, currently an MBA candidate at NYU Stern School of Business specializing in Strategy and Product Management. Her focus is on leveraging product and data to improve efficiency and access through sustainable food systems and policy.

Prior to Stern, Raquel was a User Experience Strategy Consultant at Code and Theory, where she worked to challenge upper management across industries, with clients such as JPMorgan and CNBC, toward organizational transformation by leveraging technology and design practice.

Raquel is Puerto Rican and grew up in New York City. She received her B.A. in Sociocultural Anthropology from Columbia University. In her free time she enjoys salsa dancing, slam poetry, and eating with her family.

Jenna Carellini is a recent graduate of NYU’s Steinhardt School where she obtained a Master of Arts degree in Food Studies with a concentration in Media and Cultural Analysis. Prior to that, she earned a dual degree in Sustainable Food and Farming (B.S.) and Human Nutrition and Dietetics (B.S.) from UMass Amherst, where she was a member of the Commonwealth Honors College and a Peer Advisor for the Nutrition Department.

It may have been all NYC pizza she ate in her early years, but food has always been a constant in her life. Growing up in both Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley, a love of cuisine and culture is kind of just in her blood.

To Jenna, food is personal and there is no one philosophy to food or eating. She feels that encouraging others to become connected to their food and more aware of what and how they're eating can be most effectively achieved at the intersection of food and media.

On the weekends, you can find Jenna listening to her vinyl collection, making Korean rice cakes, or exploring the Hudson Valley.

Ian Heinrich is an incoming MBA candidate at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business focused on sustainability, the conservation of our natural world, and venture capital. Prior to graduate school, Ian spent his career helping organizations with strategic financial analysis and transformation, most recently working as primary support to the North American CFO of Mercer, the world’s largest outsourced asset management firm.

Having grown up in a conservation community in northern Illinois, Ian was first introduced to sustainable agriculture practices through his involvement with the neighborhood's 100-acre organic farm. There he helped pilot the award-winning Farm To Table (F2T) lunch program for the neighborhood charter school, serving as an extension of the school's commitment to environmental education.

Ian firmly believes that a healthier and more sustainable food system is key in addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges like climate change, human health, and nutrition. He is excited to be a part of the team at Food Future Co, partnering with innovative companies to help fix our broken food system.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Psychology from Johns Hopkins University, where he was a member of the varsity men's soccer team and Johns Hopkins Tutorial Project.

Ian is an active member of the Harold M. and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation, supporting champions of environmental justice and equitable access to nature. He is an avid backpacker, fantasy-novel enthusiast, and a lifelong fan of the English Premier League soccer team, Arsenal.  

A native Brooklynite, Treston Rudder is a candidate for a Master of Business Administration in Sustainability at Bard College’s Graduate Programs in Sustainability. Since 2016, Treston has worked as a high school English teacher in NYC, driving social impact on a micro level in the classroom.

Dedicated to cultivating a mission-driven career, Treston seeks to expand the impact he has with the work he’s doing. He’s committed to supporting companies that eschew extractive practices to move us toward a regenerative economy. He is excited to join the Food Future team and support the next crop of food companies that will be conducive to a regenerative economy.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Analysis from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany. As a New York City Teaching Fellow he earned a Master of Science in Education from Long Island University - Brooklyn.

In his free time, he can be found training for a race in Prospect Park or playing tug-of-war with Brooklyn, his 8 year old puggle.

Chris White is a current second year MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. In 2016 Chris joined the United States Marine Corps where he served on active duty as a Ground Intelligence Officer. At Tuck he served as the CEO of theBOX Food Truck and Incubator, where he led turnaround efforts during the COVID-19 environment.

Mission and purpose are extremely important to Chris, which is why he is excited to be a part of the team at Food Future. He believes that sustainable food practices and holistic healthy living are vital to creating long-lasting and vibrant communities.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Trinity College, where he was a member of the varsity men’s rowing team and president of his A Capella group.

In his free time, you can find him trail running, playing the guitar, and taking long walks with his wife and dog in the Upper Valley.

Ninian Sumadia is a leader on social reform and poverty alleviation. She’s the Sectoral Representative of Youth and Students at the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC),Office of the President of the Philippines. She is the youngest and the only woman elected to the Executive Committee of NAPC Basic Sectors.

She was elected twice at the Sectoral Council of NAPC and was appointed in 2015 by the former President Benigno Aquino as the Sectoral Representative of the Youth Sector as the voice of the Filipino youth in fighting poverty.

Ninian is a signatory to the national policy of Magna Carta of the Poor (RA 11291) Implementing Rules and Regulations, an act to uplift the quality life of the Filipinos and provide opportunities for growth and development.

She is one of the National Convenors of the People Power Volunteers for Reform (PPVR), a civil society organization that advocates for reforms and good governance. She is a member of the regional core team of the ASEAN Youth Forum (AYF) and the Philippine delegate to the 25th ASEAN Summit Interface with ASEAN leaders. Ninian is a resource person to hundreds of organizations, communities and universities about her work focusing on youth organizing and mobilizing young people, policy reforms, education and capacitating people to be active citizens and contribute to youth development.

As an environmental advocate, she is part of the Board of Directors of the Advocates for the Environmental and Social Justice (AESJ), an organization at the forefront in campaigning for sustainable development and relocation of Pandacan Oil Depot outside Manila.

She is a feminist and actively pushing for gender and women empowerment. She is part in leading the youth campaigns and advocacies for Students’ Rights and Welfare, local village youth council (SK) Reform, Reproductive Health Law, Anti-Discrimination for LGBTQIA+ , human rights, environmental and social justice.

Ninian is a Student Ambassador currently taking Bachelor of Business Administration at Nexford University, Washington, DC.

She hails from the family of farmers and advocates for young people to go back in the field of agriculture for food security and sustainable climate solutions. On weekends, she is busy attending to her little farm located at Tanay, Rizal. Philippines.

Andy has an extensive background working in accelerators, startups, and the digital space. Prior to joining FFC, Andy led the launch of Luminate NY, the world's largest optics, phonics, and imaging accelerator.

Over his nearly six years there, Andy was instrumental in creating the 6-month program from scratch and recruiting six cohorts, of ten companies each, worldwide. Program graduates have gone on to raise tens of millions in follow-on funding. During his tenure as operations director, he was involved in deploying over $16M of capital, securing partnerships with international brands such as Sony and Zeiss, to managing the board, investors, and program sponsors. Previous to Luminate, Andy was the founder of Dogways Inc., a venture-backed mobile app startup; President of Toontrack Music USA, launching the Swedish music software firm in the U.S. and leading it to #1 in the world in sales; XLN Audio of Sweden, leading them to 15x sales growth; Brixy Inc., a 150+ baby store association, launching their digital platform; Brannland Cider of Sweden, launching the brand in the U.S. in 2017, and Andrea Arden, celebrity pet trainer, on numerous digital and business projects.

Andy is also an accomplished musician, having written and produced songs for major label artists worldwide, including a #1 single in 2013 for Hey! Say! JUMP of Japan.