The moment that changed everything looked ordinary: a cafeteria tray, a hurried lunch, a child in line.
When Mara Fleishman saw the heavily processed meal placed in front of her own child, she felt what countless parents feel—concern, frustration, the sting of “this can’t be the best we can do.” But Mara didn’t stop at concern. She left a corporate role at Whole Foods Market and stepped straight into the fight to transform school food from the ground up.
Today, as CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, Mara Fleishman leads a national movement that treats school meals not as an afterthought, but as one of the most powerful tools we have for health equity, academic success, environmental stewardship, and women’s economic empowerment.
“I’m honored to be recognized with the Nation of Neighbors empowerment grant,” Fleishman says. “What moves me most is that this award specifically celebrates women’s empowerment—something at the heart of our work. Ninety-three percent of the school food workforce are women, yet these professionals have been overlooked for far too long. This recognition feels like validation not just for me, but for every woman in a school kitchen across America.”
Chef Ann Foundation’s approach is both practical and profound: help districts move from heat-and-serve to scratch-cooked, fresh meals—and invest deeply in the people who make those meals happen. Under Mara’s leadership, CAF launched the Healthy School Food Pathway , the nation’s first federally registered workforce development program for school food professionals. With pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and fellowship tracks, Healthy School Food Pathway turns jobs into mission-driven careers. Since its 2022 launch, the program has supported 301 women (and nearly 500 professionals overall) with paid, on-the-job learning, credentials, and mentoring—boosting retention, food quality, and pride in districts across the country.
The results don’t end there. Chef Ann Foundation’s programs have improved the meals of nearly 4.4 million children, reaching 16,000+ schools in all 50 states. Districts receive hands-on help through Get Schools Cooking; kids pile colorful produce from Salad Bars to Schools (more than 6,000 granted to date); food-service teams level up through the School Food Institute online courses; and leaders download free tools and recipes from The Lunch Box (over 170,000 resources downloaded). Even milk service is getting smarter and greener through Bulk Milk grants that replace single-serve cartons with bulk dispensers and reusable cups.
This year, Royal Neighbors of America® named Fleishman a 2025 Nation of Neighbors℠ recipient and awarded the Chef Ann Foundation a $20,000 grant to expand Healthy School Food Pathway in Colorado, funding paid training and industry credentials for additional women entering or already working in school nutrition. Each participant will serve, on average, 350 students a day, creating an immediate ripple of healthier meals—and a longer-term surge of skilled, inspired talent in school kitchens.
Fleishman calls this a tipping point. Across the country, districts are moving to scratch cooking; states are investing in universal meals; and communities are reframing cafeteria teams as frontline health leaders. Chef Ann Foundation has helped secure $4.8 million in USDA funding to localize school food supply chains and led California’s first state-funded campaign to elevate the profession. The message is simple and radical: when we support the people behind the tray, we nourish a movement.
What makes her work especially moving is its focus on dignity. The women in school kitchens deserve recognition for more than simply feeding kids; their expertise supports students, in and beyond the classroom. Chef Ann Foundation’s programs match that truth with training, tools, and respect—and doors open: to leadership, to living-wage careers, to kids who feel better and learn better because lunch was made with real food and real skill.
“What excites me most about the Nation of Neighbors grant is the ripple effect it can create,” Fleishman says. “Through the Healthy School Food Pathway, we’re not just improving lunch. We’re changing how our nation values the women who nourish our students.”
One tray changed everything. Now, thousands of trays—prepared by confident, credentialed professionals in school kitchens across America—are changing the future.
To learn more or get involved, visit chefannfoundation.org.
