Shantell Bingham is the Program Director of the Food Justice Network. She is a graduate from the University of Virginia’s Master in Public Health program and has a bachelor’s degree in Global Public Health. Shantell was awarded the prestigious Castanea Fellowship in 2020. While completing her studies, Shantell built strong relationships with various communities in Charlottesville. For two years, she served as a Program Director of Madison House’s Bridging the Gap, a program which mentors refugee youth. While directing this program, she mentored a group of kids from Tanzania and coached a girl’s U12 outreach soccer team of immigrant and refugee kids for SOCA. Shantell received the Dalai Lama Fellowship, which awarded her funds to co-found the organization called Growing for Change, an urban garden initiative which co-designs personal gardens for citizens living in public housing and low-income areas. As a Dalai Lama Fellow, Shantell received training in ethical leadership, collaborating across differences, designing ethical systems, and mindfulness.