Our Team

The people behind every bag.

Founders

Lisa Helfman

Founder & Board Chair

Lisa Helfman is the founder and board chair of Brighter Bites. In the fall of 2011,…

Shreela Sharma, PhD

Co-Founder

Dr. Shreela Sharma is co-founder of Brighter Bites. Dr. Sharma is responsible for operationalizing the Brighter…

National Team

Christina Maynor

Senior Manager of Branding and Program Support

Christina Maynor is the Senior Manager of Branding and Program Support for Brighter Bites. She received…

Rich Dachman

Chief Executive Officer

Rich Dachman is the Chief Executive Officer of Brighter Bites. Rich comes to Brighter Bites with…

Mike Pomeroy, MPH

Vice President of Programs

Mike serves as vice president of operations of Brighter Bites, overseeing and directing programmatic aspects of…

Houston
Dallas
Austin
NYC
Washington, D.C.
Southwest Florida

Michael Carpenter

Program Supervisor

Michael Carpenter is a Program Supervisor for Brighter Bites in Houston. Michael began his tenure with…

Katie Degen

Senior Program Manager

Katie Degen is a program manager for Brighter Bites in Houston. She received her undergraduate degree…

Thelma Green

Senior Program Manager

Thelma Green is a Senior Program Manager for Brighter Bites in Houston. When she was two…

Tibisay Guzman

Senior Program Coordinator

Tibisay Guzman is a program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. She began her career at…

Anjanette Nikodym

Senior Program Coordinator

Anjanette Nikodym is a senior program coordinator for Brighter Bites in Houston. She began working with…

Maryann Aguinaga

Program Supervisor

Maryann is a Program Supervisor for Brighter Bites in Dallas. Maryann has been passionate for our…

Melanie Button, MPH

Project Manager

Melanie Button is a project manager for Brighter Bites, overseeing our NYC and Washington, D.C area…

Gina Flores

Senior Program Manager

Gina Flores is the Senior Program Manager for Brighter Bites in NYC. A true New Yorker,…

Rajni Sood Laurent

Senior Program Manager

Senior Program Manager Rajni Sood Laurent is a mom, baker, and lover of fresh foods. She…

The Fruit Loop

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Apr 15

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Looking to stock the pantry this spring? Here our some of our go-to items to have on hand to maintain a healthy lifestyle! ⁠
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Pantry staples are an affordable way to stay on track with healthy eating!⁠
#WellnessWednesday #HealthyEating #BrighterBites

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Apr 10

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Apr 9

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It's National Volunteer Month, and we are celebrating our volunteers! 🎉⁠
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Thank you, volunteers, for giving your time, energy, and effort to support our work. We could not do it without you. Thank you!⁠
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Join us today! www.brighterbites.org/volunteer

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Apr 7

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This month, we are highlighting the amazing avocado with @mission_produce! 🥑⁠
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We are grateful for the support of produce partners, like Mission Produce, who help make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible to families. Avocados are just one of the many colorful, healthy, and delicious fruits that we get to share with the families we serve. Cheers to the amazing avocado and all of the goodness it brings! 🎉

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Apr 6

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Apr 3

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Apr 2

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Thank you @p_terrys for highlighting our nonprofit for your Giving Back Day! ⁠
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P. Terry's Burger Stand donated the profits from its Houston locations this last Saturday to Brighter Bites. We are so grateful for the generosity and the opportunity for our mission to be highlighted. Thank you! ❤️⁠

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Apr 1

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Apr 1

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Las Cruces friends!⁠
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We're ten days out from our upcoming Cornhole for a Cause event at @iceboxbrewing! The event is free to attend, and registration for the tournament is $65. Join us to learn more about our work in the Las Cruces community. Let's toss for a cause!⁠
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Visit www.brighterbites.org/nmcornhole for more info!

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Mar 31

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Mar 29

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Small, healthful habits can give you super strength throughout your day and your life! ⁠
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This #NationalNutritionMonth and beyond, discover how to level up your nutrition routine: sm.eatright.org/forlife

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Mar 28

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Mar 25

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Mar 24

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We can't get enough of this crunchy and bright veggie! Carrots pack the flavor AND nutrition, and we've got the recipes to prove it! 🥕🥗🍰⁠
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Visit our recipe library for creative and tasty carrot recipes! www.brighterbites.org/recipes⁠

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Mar 23

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Save the date!⁠
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We are excited to participate in @P_Terrys Giving Back Day this Saturday! Show your support for our work and visit a P.Terry's this weekend. All profits from Houston locations will be donated to Brighter Bites!

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Mar 22

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This #NationalNutritionMonth, discover new ways you can nourish yourself and your family—even on a tight budget➡️ sm.eatright.org/LimitedBudgetTips ⁠
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Mar 20

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Today is the last day of winter! ❄️⁠
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We’ve loved giving away fresh produce all season long—even on the snowiest days. Now we’re looking forward to warmer temps, longer days, and lots more fruits and veggies this spring. 🌱☀️🍊

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Mar 17

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Mar 16

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Huge thanks to Save the Earth A to Z for volunteering with us in Salinas last week! ⁠
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This incredible group of high school students and young adults spent the day creating handwritten cards for our Notes of Nourishment, which are included with our produce bags and boxes to add a warm, personal touch for families.⁠
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It was a fun afternoon of service and creativity and a great reminder of the power of young people to give back and uplift their communities.

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Mar 15

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It's #NationalNutritionMonth, and we're celebrating by sharing healthy tips!⁠
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Here are some tips to start the day off with a nutritious morning meal to help kickstart and power your day! sm.eatright.org/powerupbfst⁠

Our Team

Founders

Lisa Helfman

Founder & Board Chair

Shreela Sharma, PhD

Co-Founder

National Team

Christina Maynor

Senior Manager of Branding and Program Support

Rich Dachman

Chief Executive Officer

Mike Pomeroy, MPH

Vice President of Programs

Michael Carpenter

Program Supervisor

Katie Degen

Senior Program Manager

Thelma Green

Senior Program Manager

Tibisay Guzman

Senior Program Coordinator

Anjanette Nikodym

Senior Program Coordinator

Maryann Aguinaga

Program Supervisor

Melanie Button, MPH

Project Manager

Gina Flores

Senior Program Manager

Rajni Sood Laurent

Senior Program Manager

Board of Directors

Faiyaz A. Bhojani, MD, DrPH

Chief Executive Officer

MRZ Medical Group, PLLC

Joel Grade

Executive Vice President, Business Development

Sysco

Steven Graubart

President & CEO

Community Hospital Partners

Lisa Helfman

Director of Public Affairs, Houston

H-E-B Grocery Company

Scott McClelland

Board Member Emeritus

Benjamin Samuels

Director

Samuels Family Foundation

Manolo Sánchez

Director

Fannie Mae

Shreela Sharma, PhD

Professor of Epidemiology

UTHealth School of Public Health

Sue Smith

Executive Vice President

Craig and Galen Brown Foundation

Vic Smith

Chief Executive Officer

JV Smith Companies

The Fruit Loop