Sierra Winters

• Sierra has worked in food service for the past six years, most memorably as a chef at Sunnybank Inn, a historic bed & breakfast on the Appalachian Trail.
• She wrote her honors thesis on the commercialization of food and Ayurveda based on extensive research she conducted in India.
• In 2018, she worked as an intern with Grow Appalachia, where she helped mediate between farmers and staff to facilitate the City of Whitesburg Farmers Market and children's summer camps.

Experience

Sierra graduated as a Robertson Scholar at Duke University, where she engaged closely with community gardens and the Duke Campus Farm in an academic, research-oriented setting. Since graduating, she has worked with a boutique advertising agency that has exposed her to several nationally and internationally acclaimed food brands. She splits her time between India and the United States, and she has traveled to more than 30 additional countries, granting her insight into unique food cultures and cuisines around the world. She has also been a lifelong vegetarian (and largely vegan since 2017), encouraging her to explore both traditional and modern methods of plant-based cooking.

Education

Sierra has a bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology from Duke University, as well as a certificate in documentary studies. As a Robertson Scholar, she was able to complete an additional food studies major at UNC-Chapel Hill.