Our Team
Alannah
I grew up in Connecticut and moved to New York after college and just recently relocated to California. My background is in live theater and events and I love staying connective to creative communities. I work remotely from LA and am so glad I get to be a part of this team even from afar.
Blandine
I studied psychology and education before discovering that I was made for baking. I rather got a degree in accounting because that field matched my family life better. When my husband got transferred to California, the opportunity to do my dream job appeared to me (America gives you a chance to shine with no degree in food industry). So I got trained (brioche, bread, pastries, cakes) before leaving my homeland (France) and I officially became a baker in the US.
Damian
I grew up on a remote farm and was taught the importance of self sustenance and the relationship between congestions to the earth and our food. Eventually my love for food became my chosen profession. I enrolled in the culinary arts program at Florida Culinary Institute and finished both the culinary arts and the international baking and pastry program. I then moved to Gainesville and got a job as the sous chef at the University of Florida Hotel under Ivy Award winner Michael McBride. Influenced heavily by Charlie Trotter, I moved Midwest and earned a coveted internship with Chef Trotter. After some time working in and visiting some of the best restaurants around the globe, I spent the next few years working in hotel establishments. Eventually an opportunity landed me in Honolulu (where I met Sway).
From Sway: Having Damian on our team has been a blessing. I say that he’s “the guy that hangs around” because he’s the first person I would go to for industry consultations and odd jobs in the kitchen.
Emily
I believe that creating and sharing food is a profound way to connect with others and celebrate life. Food is sustenance, but it is also a source of joy and a reminder that the simple pleasures are often the most fulfilling. In my home kitchen, I'm often trying various recipes I've collected and experimenting with different sourdough bread methods, while at Forest & Flour I most enjoy shaping the baguettes and making cookies!
Erika
Born and raised in San Francisco, I currently am a sophomore at UC Berkeley! I am super passionate about sustainability, specifically renewable energy and sustainable food systems! I am studying Molecular Environmental Biology, hoping to pursue something related to Public/Environmental Health. A huge foodie and extrovert, I LOVE my job at Forest and Flour and everything our community advocates for. I love thrifting, cooking, tennis, listening to music, watching Ted Lasso or Gilmore Girls and farmers markets <3
Joy
I’m a cell and Molecular Biology major at Cal State East Bay. I’ve been working in food service for three years. Working at a small cafe has always been a dream of mine, so being at Forest & Flour is not only an incredible and rewarding opportunity, but also a true dream come!
✨ What’s something - big or small - that you’re really good and/or bad at?
I’m really good at puzzles. It's almost like meditation for me.
Kalea
Raychl
I am a Bay Area born-and-raised coffee addict with a passion for cafe hopping, warm bread, and cold fruit. On weekdays, I am a production coordinator in the animation industry. On weekends, you might spot me at Forest & Flour living the cafe/bakery life I always wanted. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my loved ones, watching movies/shows, playing video games, and doing my best impersonation of a potato on the couch.
I don’t drink coffee to wake up.
I wake up to drink coffee.
Sway
Kitchens have always been my playground, the messy and fun kind. Food has always been the throughline in my life beginning with my first job at fourteen (Wendy’s!). After becoming a mother, the exploration of 'belonging' and 'homecoming' has been the theme of my adult life - How do I teach a young child to enjoy the mystery and the beauty this world has to offer? This question led me to deep dive into learning about fashion, movement, nutrition, and yoga and indigenous philosophy. Every corner I turned, the land called. Forest & Flour took form after a dear friend stopped making her delicious and nourishing gluten free bread. It began simply as a need but immediately evolved as a business with a broader mission and values. My hope with Forest & Flour beyond providing safe and delicious food to the community, is to model that it is possible to have a business that is good for the community and the planet. Some days I struggle but I have learned so much since becoming an entrepreneur!
Thao
I am a customer turned staff at Forest & Flour. I came across F&F after doing a web search for an organic and allergen friendly bakery. Soon after, I met Sway to pick up my first order and happily ate my way through the menu. I still remember the satisfaction of the first baguette bite, the unbelievable satisfaction of the first chocolate walnut cookie, the first batch of homemade brioche french toast, and that decadent chocolate cake! These foods play such an important and hopeful role in my healing journey. While my day job is in Tech Recruiting, I felt an inner calling to partner with this business somehow. I felt my own journey (still very much in it) with food and health could help to connect with the customer base. So, here I am!
Zoe
Join Us!
Forest & Flour is working towards bettering the foundation for the blossoming of a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and eat well.