Our Team
Jamie Loveday
Managing Director
Jamie has worked within the food and entrepreneurship space all his life. Growing up in his dad's many businesses, he pursued a commerce degree at University. He worked as a farmhand for farmers across rural Cambodia and has worked within The University of Sydney's entrepreneurship programs, non-profit microfinance firms, and social enterprises.
Jorge Chacon
Volunteer Culinary Manager
Peruvian born chef Jorge Chacon is a highly experienced teacher, facilitator and business mentor, having first worked in a range of kitchens (small restaurants, coffee shops, fine dining, bistros, hotels, catering), before owning his own Peruvian restaurant in the North Shore called Borderland. Jorge currently works as a head teacher at Ultimo TAFE in Sydney when he is not volunteering with FoodLab and understands the many barriers that new migrants face in the hospitality industry.
Alana Mann
Board Member
Alana is an experienced director with more than 20 years experience in the food sector. Alana brings a range of lenses to FoodLab Sydney, from her varied backgrounds in marketing and media (Fairfax media, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald), the food non-profit sector (UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, Australia Food Sovereignty Alliance, Food First Information and Action Network), and academia and grant writing as a current Professor of Media at The University of Tasmania.
David Schlosberg
Board Member
David is Director of the Sydney Environment Institute and Professor of Environmental Politics at the University of Sydney. David is an ardent political activist and globally recognised author and strategist within food security, food resilience and community-based systems practices. David offers international experience in industry, research, government and education, and formed the original partnerships to launch FoodLab Sydney in 2019 with FoodLab Detroit.
Advisory Group
Cindy Carpenter
Cindy has 20 years management consulting experience, including The Boston Consulting Group where she was a Principal and then General Manager of the Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland offices.
Cindy is the Chair of The Bread & Butter Project, Australia's first social enterprise artisan bakery, and sits on the board of Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia.
Nino Zoccali
Nino is a Sydney chef and restauranteur, from hatted Sydney CBD diner The Restaurant Pendolino and La Rosa restaurants in The Strand Arcade.
In 1998, Nino moved to Sydney where he led the opening team of Otto Ristorante Italiano on Woolloomooloo Wharf. The restaurant received instant critical acclaim. He is a second generation Italian with a passion for Italian cuisine and has two cookbooks centered around pasta.
Joanna Savill
Joanna has several decades experience in food media, marketing, events and festivals, partnerships, community engagement and more recently, helping to create great public places.
Ever since her days as a reporter, producer and presenter with SBS TV, she has worked to promote Australia’s amazing cultural and culinary diversity and to highlight the incredible talents of our producers, cooks, chefs, farmers and food artisans.
Naomi Steer
Naomi has many years experience working in the government, philanthropic and NGO sector both in Australia and internationally.
In 2000 she helped found Australia for UNHCR and went on to lead the organisation as National Director for 22 years. She helped raise over $400 million for UNHCR’s humanitarian work and initiated a diverse range of programs supporting refugee health, education and livelihoods. Naomi is passionate about supporting people to achieve their potential and live self-reliant, secure and dignified lives.
