Jaime Hansen is the Executive Director at Swipe Out Hunger. With over 20 years in the community benefit sector, Jaime has worked with national, state, and multi-county agencies to achieve stability and mission-driven success. Jaime currently resides in Boise, Idaho — a state with a strong agricultural community but large barriers to food and nutrition access. Her passion for justice and equity for basic needs is shaped by her childhood. With nomadic parents, she was offered an opportunity to live in different states across the country. Jaime has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychological Sciences as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and returns to school every fall to teach Nonprofit Management at Boise State University. You can often find Jaime in the vast wilderness of Idaho on a raft or in snowshoes. She loves all things food and regularly experiments in cooking with her partner Xanti, a 5-year-old with dance fever, and their two dogs.

Josh is the Chief Operations Officer at Swipe Out Hunger, where he is responsible for supporting the organization’s sustainability. Josh was born in Liverpool, England and grew up in Northwest Indiana. During college, Josh developed a passion for understanding the sociopolitical and economic underpinnings of hunger and food insecurity worldwide, especially while working in the office of Senator Richard Lugar where Josh focused his research on global food security for The Lugar Center. After graduating from Indiana University, Josh worked for the Illinois Department of Public Health, where he helped write legislation advocating for healthy communities throughout Illinois. Prior to joining Swipe Out Hunger, Josh was the Program Director at Tzedek America, where he developed educational programs for teens and young adults that focused on social justice issues in Los Angeles from a Jewish perspective. Josh earned his Masters in Jewish Professional Studies at Spertus College. He lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife Shani and their goldendoodle, Waldo.

Robb is the Director of Advocacy at Swipe Out Hunger, where he drives forward national and local advocacy campaigns focused on ending student hunger through campus, regional, and national solutions as part of the Research & Development Lab.

Robb’s passion for organizing students for change began more than a decade ago and has extended into many different movements. From organizing disenfranchised communities for candidate campaigns, immigrant families for comprehensive immigration reform, or students for climate justice, he continues to believe in the power of grassroots movements to change our country.

Before coming to Swipe Out Hunger, Robb served as the Advocacy Manager at Feeding America, where he organized and grew the advocacy power of our nation’s more than 200 food banks.

Robb is fired up and ready to go, to keep building the movement he knows will one-day end hunger in America.

Robb is originally from Kansas City (Go Chiefs!) and graduated from Hofstra University on Long Island, NY. You can find Robb in Brooklyn, NY living with his wife, adorable dog KayCee, and all the craft beer he can drink.

Renee Houle Catanzano is the Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at Swipe Out Hunger, leading the organization’s fundraising efforts and opportunities. With more than 10 years of nonprofit fundraising experience in human services and academic settings, Renee has a unique perspective on creating financial pathways to meet organizational milestones and long-term goals. Prior to joining Swipe Out Hunger, Renee served as Capital Campaign Manager at U.S.VETS, managing the fundraising program for the development of veteran supportive housing across the country. Before U.S.VETS, she was the Capital Campaign Manager and Director of Individual Giving at Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit focused on providing everyday essentials to children in homeless and low-income situations. Originally from Boston, MA, Renee holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree from Bentley University. You can find Renee living in Los Angeles with her husband and rescue kitten Wednesday, drinking coffee, and playing her music way too loud.

Janelle (she/her) is the Director of Communications at Swipe Out Hunger, leading the organization’s communications strategy and branding. She received her B.A. in Social Work from Rutgers University, where she first engaged in addressing food insecurity, sustainability, and food justice through Alternative Breaks and serving the local community. Janelle then earned her M.Ed. in Higher Education & Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont and worked closely with students while developing digital marketing and design assets for offices across campus. Prior to joining Swipe Out Hunger, she worked in marketing and communications at Rutgers University with a focus on social media and student outreach. Janelle lives in New Jersey and enjoys taking care of her plants, spending time with her dog, and cooking.

Sydnie is the Director of Programs at Swipe Out Hunger. While working in community development for the past 15 years, Sydnie has come face to face with food insecurity at every point of her career. It became apparent to Sydnie that access to food was undeniably the most essential social determinant of health. Whether it was organizing the 30+ pantries servicing one of Chicago’s most under resourced communities, Englewood, to establishing the University Food Pantry at Chicago State University, Sydnie is committed to Food Justice. Sydnie holds a B.A. in Political Science and an M.PA in Public Administration. For years, Sydnie has been empowering, advising and developing young leaders to lead and operate service-focused food programs. She brings leadership and community development skills, a lens of empathy, and a determination to address the inequities in food accessibility.

Shelley is the National Policy Manager at Swipe Out Hunger. Her enthusiasm for food justice brought her to the front doors of more than 36 food banks during her many years in this work. Shelley has always been a passionate advocate for social change and believes that the answer to food equity can only be found through gender, racial, and economic justice. Shelley’s focus has primarily been in the SNAP program. Most of which has been spent developing, evaluating, and directing food bank outreach programs to ensure that people have access to the benefits they are entitled to. Shelley joins us from the Food Bank for the Heartland and lives in Nebraska.

Zoe is the National Field Manager at Swipe Out Hunger. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Connecticut, where her passion of advocacy grew while experiencing the multitude of social change issues college students face everyday. Prior to joining Swipe Out Hunger, Zoe was a Campus Organizer with MASSPIRG Students, where she trained and developed the next generation of student activists on campaigns ranging from climate change to food insecurity. Originally from the Bay Area, Zoe now resides in Western MA, where she enjoys hiking and cooking in her free time.

Heather Parrie (HP) is the Network Engagement Manager at Swipe Out Hunger, where they connect and support the organization’s network of colleges. HP got their start in anti-hunger advocacy while studying at the University of Missouri, where they worked with the on-campus food pantry and completed a SNAP internship with Feeding Missouri, providing SNAP assistance and outreach around mid-Missouri and piloting a SNAP assistance program in Missouri prisons. After Mizzou, they went to work for The Campus Kitchens Project, and based at The Campus Kitchen at Northwestern, built community partnerships, managed summer food programs, and worked with students to build and strengthen anti-hunger initiatives on their campus. Before joining the Swipe Out Hunger team, they worked for Chicago-based project development studio and restaurant group Land and Sea Department, where they helped organize their staff pandemic relief fund and food delivery program. You can find them in Chicago, hitting up their local movie theatre, taking care of their pets and plants, and dreaming of their next trip. 

Sage McCoy is the Programs Manager at Swipe Out Hunger. She found her passion for working against food insecurity through her passion for college student development. Sage holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Arkansas. She fell in love with the University of Arkansas’ Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry while volunteering, and in 2019 she was excited to be hired as the staff advisor for Full Circle Food Pantry and Razorback Food Recovery programs. For 3 years, Sage worked for the Center for Community Engagement at the UofA, advising and developing the young leaders that led and operated these service-focused food programs. She brings student and leadership development skills, a lens of compassion, and a fiery determination to empower student leaders to step up, ask hard questions, and do good work for their communities. Sage lives in Northwest Arkansas where she loves bothering her 3 adorably misbehaved cats and taking off into nature to sleep in her Subaru.

Mariela is the Partnerships Coordinator at Swipe Out Hunger where she helps strengthen the engagement of campuses and anti-hunger nonprofit partners. Mariela holds a B.A. in Sociology from The University of California, Santa Barbara, where she found her passion for reliable access to nutritious food for all. Prior to joining Swipe Out Hunger, Mariela was a CalFresh, Food Security, and Basic Needs advocate at Basic Needs UCSB where she had the unique experience of helping connect students to resources as an undergraduate student herself. Mariela strongly values an intersectional lens in food justice work to best support underrepresented students and students of all backgrounds. She enjoys coming together with friends and family through food and traveling.

Christina Hasaan is the Programs Coordinator at Swipe Out Hunger. Christina received her B.A. in Sociology from Temple University. Before attending Temple, she transferred from the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) where she earned her Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, Social Behavior. Christina is a first-generation non-traditional student who believes that knowledge is the key to success, and everyone should have access to that key. As a teen mom she fought for equal public education in her high school and as an undergraduate student she continued to connect the gap between useful education and the people who need it most. She has been involved in creating change around campus by being a part of multiple organizations. She is a Philadelphia native who also enjoys gardening and taking her children to the park. 

Christine Nguyen is a Research Fellow at Swipe Out Hunger. She holds a B.S. in Public Health Science from the University of California, Irvine, where she was first exposed to food and basic needs insecurities on campus and in the surrounding community. Prior to joining Swipe Out Hunger, Christine was the ASUCI Food Security Co-Commissioner; she worked with other undergraduates and FRESH Basic Needs Hub to provide students with support and resources, such as “Zot Out Hunger.” Christine is currently a 2nd year MPH student at UCI and spends her free time with her family, friends, and Shiba Inu, Finn.

Rennica is the Social Media Fellow at Swipe Out Hunger. She is currently a second year pursuing a degree in communications at the University of California Los Angeles. It was at UCLA where she joined UCLA Swipe Out Hunger during her first year and eventually became the Social Media & Graphics Head, taking care of curating educational posts to inform students on food insecurity as well as advertising and marketing Swipe Out Hunger events around the community. In her free time, she loves to spend time with family, jam out to music, and geek out on Marvel.

Julia Ruth is the National Advocacy Intern at Swipe Out Hunger. She is a college student at Ohio State University, majoring in Public Policy with minors in Global Public Health and Epidemiology. She grew up in East Lansing, Michigan. Prior to joining Swipe Out Hunger, Julia interned with the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry where she worked within the nutrition portfolio and found her passion for state and federal nutrition policy. Through her work, Julia aspires to be a fierce advocate for equitable food access for all individuals of all demographics and to create change to address social and health disparities.

Lia Guzman Genao is the New York Organizer for Swipe Out Hunger. Lia is a college student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, majoring in Law & Society with a minor in Political Science. She was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States at the age of 13. This experience has helped her understand firsthand the struggles that working-class families face on a daily basis. She strongly believes in the power of civic engagement as a way to create systemic change. Through her work, Lia hopes to uplift, empower, and advocate for people of all backgrounds in the political process.

Tenille Metti Bowling is a Communications Consultant at Swipe Out Hunger. Previously, Tenille served as Vice President of Communications at Swipe Out Hunger, where she led the communications strategy for the organization. Prior to joining Swipe Out Hunger, Tenille was the Assistant Communications Manager at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Over the course of her seven years there, Tenille served in the communications, programs, and grants management departments, supporting the organization’s mission in a variety of roles. Before the Hilton Foundation, Tenille worked at the Peace Development Fund, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, focused on community-based grantmaking for social justice. Tenille holds a Master of Public Diplomacy degree from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Minor in Peace and Justice Studies from the University of San Francisco.

Rachel Sumekh is the Founder of Swipe Out Hunger, the leading nonprofit addressing college hunger.

Started in 2010 by a group of friends at UCLA, Swipe Out Hunger now spans more than 400 campuses in 50 states. Its original model is the Swipe Drive, which enables students to donate their extra meals to their peers facing food insecurity on campus. Today, Swipe Out Hunger provides on-campus solutions to colleges, policy and advocacy pathways, and student empowerment practices.

Sumekh is the original architect of the Hunger Free Campus Bill which has sent more than $70 million to colleges across five states to fund antihunger programs on campuses. Her work has been recognized by The Obama White House as a “Champion of Change,” and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Before launching Swipe Out Hunger full-time, Sumekh followed her millennial urge to change the world and served those facing poverty as a case manager in Chicago through AmeriCorps. Sumekh serves on the board of her Jewish spiritual community, IKAR, and is a proud graduate of UCLA. She credits her upbringing as the child of Iranian Jewish refugees for her intersectional perspective.