Founder’s Bio

Viviana Lindo was born in the central highlands of Peru whereas a child she learned to love school and nature equally and to show reciprocity to Mother Earth.  During her childhood, she was exposed to social and economic disparities as armed struggles in the highlands of her country created severe internal conflict, dramatically affecting her hometown.  As a result, she emigrated to the United States at the age of 16.  

After a long process of assimilation, acculturation and hard work, she successfully completed her studies at the California State University of Los Angeles with a degree in Liberal Studies with minors in Latin American Studies, Sociology and Social Gerontology.  She later began a master’s program in Social Science through the Global Studies Program, receiving degrees from the University of Freiburg in Germany, Kwazulu-Natal University in South Africa and Jawaharlal Nehru University in India.  Her studies led her to work in a wide range of areas:  immigration, indigenous rights, social movements, independent media, sustainable development and urban agriculture.  

In her last position before temporarily staying at home to raise her two children, Viviana worked within communities to help local residents gain access to healthy food and its preparation and, above all, to inspire young students to develop an awareness of the food they eat.  She developed programs that helped teenagers grow and prepare food as well as to preserve biodiversity.  

She comes from a long line of indigenous knowledge, cooks, farmers, entrepreneurs and community builders; thus, knowing where her passion comes from and how she connects with life and people. As a mother of two young children under the age of 4, she emphasizes her values of love, respect, empathy and reciprocity. 

Viviana is a global citizen and an avid foodie.  She loves cooking, baking, reading, crafting, traveling, watching foreign films, going on adventures and spending time outdoors with her family and friends.