Our Team

Founder, Executive Director, Board Chair

Sarah moved to Knoxville in 2016, and brought with her a passion for food, environmental sustainability, and teaching kids how to cook. Before her move to Tennessee, she received a M.S. in soil science from Cornell University and then entered the world of education and outreach, building both her skillset and enthusiasm for working with kids. She eventually found herself as the program manager of a healthy school food initiative and after school cooking program in seven public schools. Shout out to Coalition for Healthy School Food! It was here Sarah found she could help both people and the planet by teaching cooking and working to increase access to healthy plant-focused food in schools and communities.

Once in Knoxville, Sarah joined the University Assisted Community Schools program. From 2017 to 2022, Sarah taught both on-site and virtual cooking classes for students and their families. She absolutely loves cooking with kids, especially her own little taste-testers, Emory and Simon. Over the years, Sarah has compiled many kid-approved recipes and has developed the ability to teach kids how to cook pretty much anywhere- a school kitchen, a classroom, a cafeteria, outside…give her an electrical outlet and a group of kids, and dinner will be ready an hour later!

Secretary

Lori is an Anthropologist and a writer living in Knoxville, TN. She specializes in the US prison system, specifically considering how ideologies about punishment intersect with punishment policies to influence the daily conditions of confinement. One of her interests is the food system in prison, and she has combined content analysis, qualitative research, and legal research to demonstrate the ways public and political discourses on prisoners have influenced the prison diet to minimize cost, quality, and quantity. This diet challenges prisoners’ health, identity, and sense of self. Further, it transfers the cost of incarceration from the state to the families and communities of incarcerated loved ones.

Lori loves cooking and exploring new foods with her 4-year-old daughter. She strongly believes that every person deserves access to healthy, fulfilling, and culturally relevant food and is excited to share her dedication to food equity with Little Chefs, Big Change. Her anthropological background will help the organization promote healthy eating in culturally relevant ways without stigma or shame.

Vice Chair of Internal Affairs

Lauren was born and raised in Tennessee and brings many years of invaluable cooking and community health experience to the Little Chefs, Big Change team. She is currently a UT Extension Agent of Family and Consumer Sciences, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and a Public Health Ph.D. candidate at University of Tennessee.