Aviva Paley

Aviva Paley is a non-profit leader with ten years of experience working at the intersection of sustainability and economic justice in the food system. Before serving as the Chief of Staff at Young Farmers, Aviva served as the Co-Founder and Senior Director of Kitchens for Good, a San Diego-based non-profit that addresses food waste, hunger, unemployment, and recidivism. Over her seven-year tenure, Aviva helped Kitchens for Good transform a start-up into an award-winning non-profit with 40 staff that has helped nourish 20,000 San Diegans and supported 400 job seekers in launching meaningful hospitality careers. Earlier in her career, Aviva immersed herself in sustainable agriculture policy and practices while working at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, the Leichtag Foundation, and as a farm fellow at Urban Adamah Farm.

Aviva is passionate about fostering a just and livable community, dedicating her volunteer time as a Board Member of the Climate Action Campaign and the Committee Chair of Avodah San Diego.

Aviva has been chosen for several prestigious awards and fellowships, including Forbes 2019 list of 30 under 30 Social Enterprise Leaders, The UC Global Food Initiative’s 30 under 30 Food Leaders Award, The ROI Fellowship, and the Arianne de Rothschild Fellowship. Aviva is currently a fellow of the San Diego Leadership Alliance Institute.

When Aviva is not working, you can find her gardening, biking around San Diego, hiking in the mountains, or taco tasting in Baja California.