Aviva Paley is a non-profit leader and social entrepreneur with ten years of experience working at the intersection of sustainability and economic justice in the food system. Aviva currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the National Young Farmers Coalition, a national advocacy organization working to shift power and change policy to equitably resource a new generation of working farmers. Previously, Aviva served as the Co-Founder and Senior Director of Kitchens for Good, a San Diego based non-profit that tackles issues of food waste, hunger, poverty, and recidivism through innovative apprenticeship training programs. 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 20,000 San Diegans gain access to nutritious food and supported 400 job seekers launch meaningful careers.

Aviva is passionate about fostering a just and livable community and dedicates her volunteer time to support several San Diego based initiatives. In addition to serving on the Board of the Climate Action Campaign, Aviva serves as a Committee Member of the Green New Deal Alliance, the Chair of the Avodah San Diego Advisory Committee, and a member of the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation Innovation Incubator committee.

Aviva has been chosen for several prestigious awards and fellowships including Forbes 2019 list of 30 under 30 Social Enterprise Leaders, Food Tanks list of 20 Food Leaders Under 40, 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 Leader Alliance Institute.