Karen Ramirez

RootDown LA | California, USA

Karen Ramirez grew up in South LA and was one of the first group of youth who joined RootDown LA in 2010, out of a desire to give back to her community. She went on to college to study psychology and was able to return in 2014 to first become a youth volunteer. Since then, her vision, relationship building skills, and fierce dedication have led her to become the Executive Director. She is passionate about building community and collaborating with other organizations to strengthen the community food system and getting people to eat their veggies.

“One reason I have stayed with RDLA for so long is that it is a place where you feel empowered to make a change in your community. And because it’s youth driven, it shows the youth that they can exceed their own expectations - they can look up to the staff and relate to them.”