Meet the Central Valley Food Economy Summit Presenters

Join F3 Local at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District on October 17th, from 8:30 am to 3 pm, to hear from these experts.

We're just two weeks away from this one-day event. Read more below about the amazing topics and expert speakers that will be presenting them.

How Local Food Infrastructure Supports Community & Economic Development

Libby Christensen, Colorado State Extension’s Statewide Food and Agriculture Specialist

Libby Christensen is an alum of UC Davis, where she earned a master’s in Community Development and a Ph.D. in Geography focused on measuring the economic impact of food systems in Northern California. She has worked for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and served on the Yolo County Fair Board, grounding her career in the connections between agriculture, community, and regional growth. 

Now based in Colorado, Libby serves as the Statewide Food and Agriculture Extension Specialist, leading statewide initiatives such as the Colorado Food Summit and Colorado Food Collision, which bring together producers, businesses, and policymakers to strengthen regional economies. With a focus on leveraging food and agriculture as engines for economic development, she is passionate about building resilient, locally rooted markets that benefit both communities and producers.

Best Practices and Business Models for Shared Kitchens and Processing

Ashley Colpaart, The Food Corridor, CEO

Ashley Colpaart, a registered dietitian and food systems expert, founded The Food Corridor in 2015, revolutionizing food entrepreneurship with the only software platform designed specifically to connect food businesses with rentable commercial kitchens, commissaries, and incubator kitchens. 

Inspired by her doctoral research at Colorado State University, which explored barriers for food entrepreneurs, Colpaart identified the untapped potential of underutilized kitchens and applied sharing economy principles to create a SaaS solution. Launched in 2016 from Fort Collins, Colorado, The Food Corridor’s core management tool streamlined bookings, compliance, and operations for shared-use kitchens, addressing a critical gap in this niche market. 

Her vision to democratize access to food production quickly gained traction, earning early recognition through awards like first place at the 2016 Monfort eChallenge and a finalist spot for the SXSW Interactive Innovation Award.

Under Colpaart’s leadership as CEO, The Food Corridor grew from a bootstrapped startup into an indispensable tool for food entrepreneurs over a decade. In 2018, she secured a seed round from Colorado investors, fueling feature expansions like invoicing and compliance tools, and enabling market growth across the U.S. and beyond. 

Colpaart’s collaboration with the USDA was pivotal, co-authoring the “Shared Kitchen Toolkit,” a comprehensive resource to help communities navigate regulations and establish shared kitchen facilities. By adeptly managing challenges like the 2019 shift to a remote team and the COVID-19 pandemic, she ensured the platform remained a lifeline for food businesses reliant on shared kitchen infrastructure.

By 2025, The Food Corridor celebrated its 10th anniversary as a cornerstone of local food systems, earning accolades like the FoodTech 500 and the 2018 Bravo! Emerging Entrepreneur Award. Colpaart’s leadership has empowered communities to launch shared kitchens and enabled countless food entrepreneurs to scale, from caterers to packaged goods producers. Her commitment to sustainable, accessible food systems continues to drive The Food Corridor’s mission, solidifying its role as the leading software solution for the niche market of commercial, commissary, and incubator kitchens.

Flavor-Driven Economic Growth: 

Panel Discussion: their whys, hows, barriers, and impacts

Cesario Ruiz, El Pajaro Community Development Corporation, Kitchen Incubator Program Manager

Cesario Ruiz founded My Mom’s Mole in 2013 to blend traditional Mexican cuisine with sustainable agriculture. Starting as a retail product, the brand has expanded into catering, events, foodservice, a food truck, and educational initiatives.

Originally from Andocutin, Guanajuato, Cesario grew up in a family where cooking was central to daily life. His culinary journey began at age 11 and led him from washing dishes to managing a restaurant. After gaining experience in food service operations, he launched My Mom’s Mole.

Today, Cesario also serves as the Kitchen Incubator Program Manager at El Pájaro CDC in Watsonville, CA, supporting local food entrepreneurs. He believes in building community through sharing knowledge and skills. Outside the kitchen, he’s passionate about Cuban music and dance, teaching salsa for nearly two decades.

Adam Kody, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACENet), Director of Operations

Adam Kody is the Director of Operations at ACEnet, a rural food business incubator based in the Appalachian foothills of Athens, Ohio. Adam initially joined the ACEnet staff in 2016, serving as the Food Enterprise Coordinator. 

He provides oversight for all of ACEnet’s food enterprise and workforce development activities. Adam works to increase ACEnet’s operational capacity for the benefit of new and existing microenterprises. He works locally and regionally with employers, organizations, and partners to strengthen strategic pathways and keep ACEnet at the forefront of entrepreneurial assistance in rural communities.

Jacob Sacks, Alchemist Kitchen, Director of Economic Development

Jacob Sacks has worked for the Sacramento nonprofit Alchemist CDC since 2016 and is the Director of Economic Development. Mr. Sacks has been instrumental in the development and launch of the Alchemist Kitchen program, a food business incubator for food entrepreneurs from under-resourced communities. In doing so, he has also built out a team of experienced food industry veterans to grow the Alchemist Kitchen program and serve more entrepreneurs. 

After officially launching in 2019, Alchemist Kitchen has grown to serve over 250 businesses and has 30 businesses currently in the Incubator Program. The program also runs a shared-use commissary kitchen and is developing Alchemist Public Market, an entire campus that will have a host of opportunities for participants in the program.

Shawn Miller, Clovis Culinary Center, Co-Founder, and City of Clovis, Business Development Manager

Shawn Miller currently serves as Business Development Manager for the City of Clovis and leads the Business Retention, Expansion, and Attraction Program. Acting as the chief liaison between the business community and the city government, his main goal is to enhance these valuable relationships and to help maintain a vibrant local economy. 

Shawn co-founded Clovis Culinary Center, a nonprofit facility that provides professional culinary business services for entrepreneurs who want to start or expand their business. The Clovis Culinary Center is more than just a kitchen; it offers hands-on technical assistance from our industry-minded professionals, which includes workshops focusing on basic food handling, developing business plans, marketing, social media, securing permits and licenses, procuring contracts with government organizations, obtaining a wholesale license, and access to capital.

The Clovis Culinary Center was created and operates thanks to generous contributions from the City of Clovis, USDA, Northern California Community Loan Fund, City of Clovis Community Development Block Grant, California Fresh Works, JD Food, California Restaurant Association, and Fresno/Clovis Convention and Visitors Bureau. Because of these community partners, special hourly rates and scholarships are available to qualified veterans and residents of economically challenged areas in the region.

Kris Marshall, Clovis Culinary Center, Operations Manager

With over 25 years of experience in the service industry, Kris Marshall brings a wealth of expertise in restaurant operations, training, and business development to her role as Operations Manager at the Clovis Culinary Center. 

“We provide a facility for chefs to work out of—people who want to take their idea from recipe to reality.” - Kris Marshall

She has spent her career building strong teams, creating effective operational systems, and helping businesses run efficiently. 

For the past three years, Kris has helped countless local entrepreneurs start and grow their food businesses, fueled by her passion for community and small business success.

Noel Rosa, Rosa Brothers, President/CEO

Noel Rosa is a third-generation dairy farmer. He began his career by returning to the family dairy farm after college and eventually purchasing the farm in a partnership with his brother. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Business from Cal Poly SLO. 

He has held many board seats over the years, ranging from Dairy industry groups to School boards. After ten years on the board, he is currently the Chairman of the California Milk Advisory Board. 

In 2012, he and his brother began processing a percentage of their own milk in an artisanal creamery and have consistently grown the enterprise. They currently process, market, and deliver over 50 SKUs to over 1,100 locations in the state of California. 

Workshop: Fork Up Your Community Assets!

Close out this informational day with regional roundtable connections to collaborate on solutions for your community and the economy’s benefit.

Andrea Carbine, New Venture Advisors (NVA), Senior Director 

Andrea J. Carbine is an entrepreneur, chef, and consultant working in food for over twenty years. She has led teams and organizations of all scales in both the non-profit and for-profit food space. For her work, she was recognized with two James Beard nominations, a Local Hero award (Edible Magazine), and a Women of Excellence Award for Entrepreneurship. During her culinary career, she launched, operated, scaled, and sold her own entrepreneurial ventures, including multiple restaurants and a branded CPG product.

For over 15 years as an East Coast chef and consultant, she was recognized for her active role in supporting and facilitating the local food economy and farm-to-table restaurant movements. She assumed a leadership role in developing local crop buying programs and distribution networks and provided funding and support to local value chain development amongst regional producers, fisheries, and ranchers.

In 2017, she supported the development and launch of one of the first national brands of shared kitchen and incubation facilities for entrepreneurs. That work provided hands-on experience in designing and developing a multimillion-dollar venture.

Today, she acts as Senior Director at New Venture Advisors (NVA), leading food system planning and infrastructure projects for organizations, drawing on deep experience in the operation and management of shared kitchens, incubation and acceleration programs, restaurant and hospitality ventures, and supply chain resources in communities across the country. These experiences make Andrea an exceptional strategist and consultant to food companies. She currently resides in the Midwest with her family.

Sign up today to join F3 Local–Farms, Food, Future–on October 17th at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District to explore how investments in food industry infrastructure build a thriving and vibrant local economy. 

You’ll want to stay till the end, because your registration will enter you into a raffle for delicious locally made products! Must be present to win.

Know someone else who should attend? Share this registration form.

For more information, contact Yonatan Weinberg at yweinberg@ucanr.edu