Rae Gomes is a dedicated mother, writer, and organizer for food justice, proudly calling Brooklyn, NY, her home.

Rae is deeply involved in initiatives fostering food sovereignty and community empowerment. She is a co-founding member of Central Brooklyn Food Coop, where she harnessed her analysis on the current and historic food systems landscape. She was able to leverage that experience to extend her advocacy for projects like the Central Brooklyn Food Hub and contribute her leadership to the National Black Food and Justice Alliance as a member of the Leadership Team.

With a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College, Rae's writing amplifies voices on issues of race and activism, showcased in publications such as The Nation, Civil Eats, American Prospect, Colorlines, The Root, Next City, and the Land, Food, and Freedom Journal.

At the core of her organizing efforts lies the intersection of race and food justice, aiming to address health disparities in marginalized communities. Through her venture, Cultivating Justice LLC, Rae continues her passionate pursuit of increasing food access through community-driven solutions. Notably, she initiated Root To Wellness, a groundbreaking food-as-medicine project in collaboration with Brooklyn Packers, GrowNYC, and One Brooklyn Health, introducing subsidized community-supported agriculture programs in Central Brooklyn.

Rae's expertise has positioned her as a sought-after speaker and advisor, contributing her insights to platforms like Slow Food USA, the Rose Luxembourg Local to Global Grassroots forum, and presentations to graduate classes at Columbia University, Barnard College, and New York University. She has lent her consultancy to organizations such as the Stone Barns Center for Agriculture and Food Education Fund, and her guidance has been instrumental in crafting impactful reports for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Gomes is a 2021 Urban Design Forum Forefront Fellow, focused on Food Equity, winner of the Food Policy Pitch Day at CUNY Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, and a “40 under 40” Food Policy Stars, class of 2019.