Organization: FrontLine Farming, Project Protect Food Systems Workers

I am a farmer, a seed keeper, and a land steward working at the intersections of food, labor, and justice. As the Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Head Farmer of FrontLine Farming, I work to reclaim land as a space of sovereignty, healing, and resistance. I also co-convene Project Protect Food Systems Workers, advocating for the rights and dignity of the people who grow our food.

My journey didn’t start in the field—I was born in Denver and raised between Denver and Ethiopia, moving between worlds shaped by war, migration, and resilience. Before I ever put my hands in the soil, I studied political science, focusing on the fight against GMOs in Africa and the ways power dictates who eats and who starves. But academia alone couldn’t answer the questions I had about survival, liberation, and care—so I turned to the land.

Now, my work is about growing beyond capitalism, creating systems where land isn’t just extracted from but honored, where food isn’t a commodity but a birthright. I’ve built farms for communities, restaurants, and cooperatives. I teach in CU Boulder’s Masters for Environmental Studies Program, where I challenge students to think critically about sustainability outside of whitewashed frameworks.

I also serve as Co-Chair of the Denver African American Commission, a Mayor-appointed member of the Sustainable Food Council, and a convener of the Colorado Water Equity Partnership. My work has been recognized by the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund, the Catalyst Award for Environmental Leadership, and the Kathy Underhill Scholarship, but my greatest reward is the communities I grow alongside.

For me, farming isn’t just growing food—it’s growing futures where we all get to thrive.