The team | FoodLab Sydney

FoodLab's Team

Jamie Loveday

Jamie has worked within the food and entrepreneurship space all his life. Growing up in a family of business owners, he pursued a commerce degree at University. He worked as a farmhand for farmers across rural Cambodia and managed The University of Sydney's entrepreneurship programs, before helping build the curriculum for FoodLab when they launched in 2019.

Miles Blackledge

Miles is a professionally trained chef with over 10 years of experience working in kitchens across the UK and Australia; from busy cafés to running his own catering business. Along with being a certified trainer and assessor, he is passionate about helping others build skills, confidence, and community through food. Whether mentoring aspiring chefs or refining a recipe, Miles appreciates good food and even better teamwork.

Luul Okbay

A dedicated kitchen professional, Luul brings her passion for food and years of experience to FoodLab. Originally from Eritrea and a proud mother of three, she finds joy in creating a welcoming and vibrant kitchen environment. When she’s not playing outdoors with her kids, Luul is perfecting her signature dishes, including Injera, Doro Wat, and Lamb Zigni.

Hiromi Shinozaki

Hiromi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Studies at the University of Japan. She is a qualified chef and has been working in various cafes and catering businesses for over 5 years. She carries her grandmother's words, 'when you cook, think of the people who will eat' and continues to refine her skills with love each day.

David Lu

Having built and run multiple software and tech businesses over the course of his career, David knows what it takes to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. He's a problem-solver at heart with a keen eye for detail. More than anything, David loves helping others — so joining a community-driven organisation like FoodLab felt like a natural fit. Outside of work, he recharges on the gym floor or on the Jiu-Jitsu mats.

Aitak Salempour

Hospitality is an intrinsic part of Azeri-Iranian culture, through which Aitak has learned the importance of generosity and serving others. She has worked within hospitality, healthcare, education and events industries - always centered around people; their happiness, their health and their growth.

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Our Board

Nina Siljanovic (Chair)

Nina brings 15 years of professional experience spanning investment banking, higher education, and small business, offering a wealth of strategic expertise to her role.

The former owner and operator of The Nutty Baker, Nina currently works in various roles with prominent hospitality brands including The Restaurant Pendolino, Bourke Street Bakery, and Bundarra Farming for Good.

Stuart Kingham

Stuart is Challenger Limited's Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for strategy, M&A and Challenger's external and strategic relationships. Stuart has held a number of senior finance roles since joining Challenger in 2012 and began his career as a Chartered Accountant, working in investment banking and senior finance roles in Australia and the UK.

Jessica Nesbit

Jessica is a construction law specialist from MinterEllison, acting for major public and private sector clients including in the property development, office, industrial and education sectors. Jessica has a strong interest in community investment and has varied experience in advising not-for-profit organisations.

Joanna Savill

Joanna has several decades of experience in food media, marketing, events and festivals, partnerships, community engagement and creating great public places. Previously a reporter, producer and presenter with SBS, she has worked to promote Australia’s amazing cultural and culinary diversity to highlight the incredible talents of our producers, cooks, chefs, farmers and food artisans.