Angela ElzingaCheng (Food Share, Toronto) Angela has been a community organizer and developer for over 13 years, and came to FoodShare after working at a neighbourhood-based food security organization in Vancouver, Canada and getting a Master’s in Social Work at the University of British Columbia with a focus on community development and anti-oppression. Angela’s passion is to support change towards a more just society that reflects the diversity of Toronto through food justice work. In the past, she has been involved with nationwide political action related to education reform. Angela has supported Good Food Markets, community kitchens, community gardens, neighbourhood-based food planning, consulted to other cities on engagement and consultation practices, organized many city-wide events bringing politicians, funders, and community leaders together and facilitated a Toronto Community Housing (TCH) Community Garden Strategic Opportunities process with three partners and hundreds of community members, creating resources and recommendations.
Becky Ellis (Western University) Becky Ellis is an avid gardener, a permaculture educator and small-scale beekeeper. She is currently a PhD student in Geography at Western University where she studies urban agriculture with a particular interest in the relationship between people and bees. In 2010, she attended Earth Activist Training, a permaculture design course, and has been doing presentations, workshops, and projects about urban permaculture ever since. Becky previously worked for the London Community Resource Centre where she created Sprouts - a experiential children's gardening program. For four years, she co-organized the Mantis Arts & Eco Festival, an annual celebration of local art and environmental sustainability. For over two decade, she has been an active community organizer participating in grassroots feminist, environmentalist and anti-racist organizations. Becky currently sits on the board of London Cycle Link and writes a blog - Permaculture for the People - about social justice in the permaculture movement.