About Mai Nguyen

Farmer Mai Nguyen (they/them) is a well-respected farm owner-operator and farmer community organizer with a deep understanding of California's agricultural challenges, seen from an environmental, economic, policy and agricultural worker perspective.

Serving as the National Young Farmers Coalition's California Organizer and Director, Mai organized California’s farmers of color to affect policy for the benefit of the state’s diverse and independent agricultural producers. Mai supports deep democracy through community organizing and cooperative economics, including professional experience assisting existing and startup agricultural cooperatives and worker cooperative farms at the California Center for Cooperative Development and Minnow.

Mai holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Geography from UC Berkeley and University of Toronto, respectively. They are chair of the Asian American Farmers Alliance, member of the inaugural CDFA Farmer Equity Advisory committee and co-founder of the California Farmer Justice Collaborative, which passed California's first agricultural civil rights bill, the 2017 Farmer Equity Act. Their social and environmental justice work has been recognized by Grist.org, Berkeley Food Institute, Rachel's Network, and the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, and featured in CNN, SF Chronicle, VICE, and Patagonia.

About Café X: By Any Beans Necessary

Café X: By Any Beans Necessary is a family-owned, Black woman-owned cooperative coffee shop built to support generational wealth building in the Black community and other marginalized communities.

Café X is the only cooperative coffee shop in San Diego whose mission is specific and intentionally devoted to uplifting Black people and other marginalized communities. Our cooperative coffee shop concept arose in 2016 at the conclusion of a year-long community fellowship program—hosted by RISE San Diego—where we developed our mission, vision, and reason for being. We are Black women and make no apologies for the desire to support and build generational wealth in our community. Our name and essence is an allusion to the great Malcolm X and his unapologetic ambition for Black self-determination in a country steeped in inequality.

When Black people rise, we all rise.

Visit Café X’s website | Find Café X on Yelp | Follow Café X on Instagram | Follow Café X on Facebook

About the Local Food Economy Lab

The Local Food Economy Lab is a program of the San Diego Food System Alliance that centers equity and community ownership, and works to support the viability of small-scale farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food business owners, and the communities they serve in San Diego County. The Lab serves small-scale farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food business owners at all stages, especially those in our community for whom traditional business development services have been out of reach.

We focus on businesses led by Indigenous and people of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ+, youth, seniors, individuals with low income, and those advancing community ownership and collaborative models. The Lab serves for-profit and nonprofit businesses through peer-to-peer collaboration and learning opportunities, tailored business planning and coaching programs, resource directories, policy advocacy, access to land, capital, markets, and more.

Visit the Local Food Economy Lab's website