Bridget Barrera
Academically I studied Geography & Environmental studies in Albuquerque, NM however my school projects oftentimes focused on the food security and mapping out agricultural regions of New Mexico, cultural cuisine and the reality of food apartheid.
My first job outside of college was working in my community as a field organizer for Nextdoor and using my GIS skills to help draw out their borderlines and neighborhood boundaries in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the community saw them.
I realized that moving further into a career in GIS was not something I considered myself doing so I moved to Chicago where I immerse myself in the culinary metropolis Chicago is. I worked at some of the best restaurants learning the ins and outs of hospitality until eventually transitioning into event planning and production with Eataly Chicago where I found the opportunity to showcase my love of food, culture and the ability to work creatively with others.
Post pandemic I moved to San Francisco and downsized to working as a store manager in a specialty food store where I had the chance to work in an extremely intimate environment with the neighborhood I serve and making small scale tasting events with the small batch makers of products we carry.
I’m excited to continue my work in the community through my love of food, nutrition and culinary experiences.