Christopher J. Braccia II

Born and raised in Upstate New York, Chris grew up in a family historically steeped in the food industry. His great-grandparents operated a family bakery in Cairo, and his father and uncle have both operated family-run food distribution companies for many years with a focus on Italian dry and wet goods. After leaving school, Chris joined his father as a partner in the family food distribution company, located in Florida. 

In 2014, Chris embarked on an open-ended round-the-world trip, and found himself in Saigon, Vietnam, where he rekindled his passion for food and the experiences that are built around it. Chris would go on to operate a motorbike food tour company for seven years before deciding to return home to spend more time with his family. 

Chris is currently a program associate working on FeedHV, focusing on reinforcing local food security in the face of rapid demographic change in the Hudson Valley.