Elise Gonzales

Food Security Network Weaver

Elise is a fierce advocate for justice-driven community development, using her expertise in social entrepreneurship and food systems to challenge the status quo. Over her 18-year career, she has launched a women and culturally-focused social business in the Indian Himalayas, co-founded an award-winning tour company that empowered local youth and secured international contracts, developed a culinary department at the Sonoma Community Center that prioritized equity and youth engagement and founded a CTE culinary program for at-risk youth at a local high school.

Currently, Elise is at the forefront of a food access revolution with Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund, working as a Food Network Weaver to unite 15 local and county organizations with the audacious goal of making Sonoma Valley the first food-secure region in the country. Her rebellious spirit fuels her mission to break down systemic barriers and reimagine a more just and equitable future, while her heart-centered practice believes that food has the power to unite a diverse community.