The Hunger Center is delighted to announce the 14 members of the second cohort of Legacy Leaders, a program that aims to continue to advance the leadership and influence of the alums of our fellowships and internships. This year’s cohort will coalesce around the theme “Getting on the Ballot.” Starting with a two-day intensive learning session on June 13-14 in Washington, D.C., participants will explore what it looks like to run for elected office or utilize ballot initiatives to address hunger and poverty.
“For many of our alums, myself included, our experience with the Hunger Center was absolutely formative,” said Executive Director Shannon Maynard (Emerson ‘98). “The investment in time and resources that the Hunger Center made in us launched us into our careers working for the public good. The Legacy Leaders program was created to build on that initial investment, to further grow our alums’ professional capacity and help them find new ways to have an impact in ending hunger.” According to a 2017 survey, 75% of Hunger Fellows are pursuing a career working for the public good.
After the conclusion of the two-day session, participants will reconvene periodically for virtual learning sessions on pertinent topics and check-ins with their cohort to report on their progress, challenges, and lessons learned.
Each cohort of Legacy Leaders is organized around a central theme which guides participants’ goals and learning throughout the year. This year’s theme was developed in partnership with the Hunger Center Alum Council. Last year’s Legacy Leaders focused on nonprofit board service as a lever for social change.
“One thing that consistently amazes me about the Hunger Center is seeing how many alums there are out there, doing powerful work, at all levels and across all sectors,” said program consultant Lindsey Baker (Emerson ’08). “This new cohort of Legacy Leaders is a dynamic group of alums who are energized to explore how public service, whether running for elected office or leading ballot initiatives, can drive social change. Our aim this year is to draw on the Hunger Center’s bipartisan heritage and network of allies to explore and demystify what it means to use electoral politics as a means to take on hunger and poverty.”
Legacy Leaders is made possible by the generous support of the Kroger Co. Foundation.
Legacy Leaders 2024-2025 Cohort
| Name | Affiliation | Alum of |
|---|---|---|
| Joel Anderson | Washington Student Achievement Council | Emerson ’21 |
| Analicia Bañales-Feuille | University of Texas at El Paso | Emerson ’20 |
| David Blount | William Julius Wilson Institute, Harlem Children’s Zone | Emerson ’15 |
| Olivier Bradley | Student, University of Massachusetts Amherst | Zero Hunger ’23 |
| Pierre’ Collins | Stowell & Friedman | Emerson ’19 |
| Amber Herzer | Emerson ’08 | |
| Amira Iwuala | Alliance to End Hunger | Emerson ’22 |
| Daniel Lau | The Libra Foundation | Emerson ’10 |
| Lakeisha McVey | RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund | Emerson ’19 |
| Brenda Mutuma | Graduate Student, University of Southern California | Emerson ’14 |
| Tiara Nourishad | Student, Boston College Law School | Zero Hunger Intern ’22 |
| Xavier Roberts | Atlanta Community Food Bank | Emerson ’21 |
| Almas Sayeed | County of Los Angeles | Emerson ’06 |
| Daniel Zavala Paramo | Student, University of Oklahoma | Zero Hunger ’23 |