Kamanani Conklin is a second–year Master of Public Health student focusing on Public Health Nutrition. Her recent projects include supporting the development of an integrated food system policy plan for the state of Hawai’i and designing and evaluating culturally–relevant meal programs for acute care hospitals. Nani is interested in translating community priorities into policies and programs that shift the food environment, particularly in her home state of Hawai’i, where key leaders in public health and agriculture are increasingly leveraging the USDA to support Indigenous producers and sustainable, resilient food systems.

Kenzo is a fourth–year PhD candidate in the Berkeley Agroecology Lab, where he researches the barriers to farm diversification practices and the impact these practices have on soil health and functionality. The Farm Bill conservation programs are a key way that our federal government supports farmers in adopting sustainable practices, and he’s excited to learn more about how the Farm Bill can invest more specifically in supporting BIPOC and new/beginning farmers who will be critical in a just transition to more regenerative forms of agriculture.

Ellen attends the Goldman School of Public Policy, where she is earning her Master of Public Affairs with a focus on agriculture and resilient food systems. Before she came to UC Berkeley, she farmed for six years in northern Illinois, where she grew certified organic vegetables and became involved with the National Young Farmers Coalition during the authorization of the 2018 Farm Bill. She is excited to attend the Summit in DC to reimagine the 2023 Farm Bill through the lens of racial justice and agroecological principles.

Allegra is a second–year graduate student working towards a Master of Public Policy at the Goldman School. She is the co–chair of the Food & Agriculture Policy Group, a student group at UC Berkeley that explores how policy can achieve equity, justice, and economic and environmental sustainability within food and agriculture systems. Allegra has a background in climate and water policy, regional food systems, and regenerative land management. She is interested in helping communities reclaim governance over the ecological systems that sustain them, including food, land, and water systems.

Diego is a second–year Master of Public Policy student at the Goldman School. He is a strong advocate and activist for fair labor, racial justice, and immigration rights. He has organized with Latinx in Public Policy, Students of Color in Public Policy, One Fair Wage, UAW 2865, and conducted research for the UC Labor Center and UC Merced Community Labor Center. He is currently a fellow at the Center for Empowerment of Refugees and Immigrants in Oakland. His main interests in the Farm Bill are the possible international collaborations around food policy, the equitable land stewardship towards Natives and Indigenous communities, and the resources linked to Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribes in the bill.