Monica is responsible for overseeing the administration, programs and strategic plan of the organization.
Monica is the executive director of New Roots Institute, where she has overseen the development of a unique series of educational programs. New Roots educates high school and college students on the devastating impacts of factory farming and supports them as they become advocates for a just and sustainable food system. By working intensively in a handful of regions across the US, New Roots is shifting attitudes and behavioral norms toward plant-centered menus.
Monica serves as an advisor to Scarlet Spark, Animal Defense Partnerships, and the AVA Summit. A veteran teacher, she taught classroom environmental education to students at all grade levels and in residential settings. Monica earned her BA at UC Berkeley and her Master’s in Education, with a focus on the environment, at the University of New Mexico.
Jesse provides strategic leadership and operational oversight to maximize New Roots Institute's impact and ensure its efficient and effective functioning in pursuit of its mission.
A writer, academic, and educator for over two decades, Jesse earned a B.A. from UC Berkeley in 2002 and an MFA from the New School in 2007. Shortly thereafter, he began teaching high school students about the ethics of our food culture. Later, during his PhD work, he continued to include environmental and animal ethics on the syllabi of his undergraduate classes at the City University of New York, where for five years he taught philosophy, literature, writing, and rhetoric. In 2017, he moved to Los Angeles to apply his years of research and educational experience in the non-profit sphere. Outside of New Roots Institute, you may find him practicing yoga, appreciating beauty in its myriad forms, reading in one of his preferred languages, or teaching the annual food politics course to undergraduates at UCLA.
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