Maria Elena Rodriguez
Director of Research and Community Partnerships
(she, her, ella)
Based in Puerto Rico, Maria Elena has over fifteen years of community-engaged experience advocating for food justice, supporting small-scale food producers and artisans, and promoting local food culture. In her role as Director of Research and Community Partnerships at DAISA, Maria Elena conducts field-building research, provides project management and strategic assistance to clients, and fosters collaboration and capacity-building among community-based food systems organizations. Prior to DAISA, she worked to expand food access programs in both San Francisco and Seattle, led the publication of a grassroots guide to local food systems change, and has managed multiple community farmers’ markets with an emphasis on supporting emerging food entrepreneurs.
Maria Elena holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle and a Master’s degree in Community Development from the University of California, Davis, where she created original research on the complex cultural and political dynamics of the Puerto Rican food system. She is also the Founder and Owner of Cosecha Caribe – an agroecological farm project selling hand-crafted, artisanal food products. Maria Elena is an alumna of Soul Fire Farm BIPOC Immersion, Proyecto Agroecológico El Josco Bravo, and the Rockwood Leadership Institute, and serves on the Board of Directors for El Departamento de la Comida de Puerto Rico. She is committed to creating a food system that honors ancestral knowledge, uplifts Black, Indigenous, and other POC communities, nourishes the environment, and deepens Queer community.
Director of Research and Community Partnerships
(she, her, ella)
Based in Puerto Rico, Maria Elena has over fifteen years of community-engaged experience advocating for food justice, supporting small-scale food producers and artisans, and promoting local food culture. In her role as Director of Research and Community Partnerships at DAISA, Maria Elena conducts field-building research, provides project management and strategic assistance to clients, and fosters collaboration and capacity-building among community-based food systems organizations. Prior to DAISA, she worked to expand food access programs in both San Francisco and Seattle, led the publication of a grassroots guide to local food systems change, and has managed multiple community farmers’ markets with an emphasis on supporting emerging food entrepreneurs.
Maria Elena holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle and a Master’s degree in Community Development from the University of California, Davis, where she created original research on the complex cultural and political dynamics of the Puerto Rican food system. She is also the Founder and Owner of Cosecha Caribe – an agroecological farm project selling hand-crafted, artisanal food products. Maria Elena is an alumna of Soul Fire Farm BIPOC Immersion, Proyecto Agroecológico El Josco Bravo, and the Rockwood Leadership Institute, and serves on the Board of Directors for El Departamento de la Comida de Puerto Rico. She is committed to creating a food system that honors ancestral knowledge, uplifts Black, Indigenous, and other POC communities, nourishes the environment, and deepens Queer community.