Dená Brummer is an advocate for honest food, food justice and sustainability. Much of her work is centered around the simple idea that our food system should protect the environment and biodiversity, promote health and wellness, and provide quality jobs with dignity.

After a 15-year career in communications/marketing, she decided to take a detour into the world of food. She has been on a journey to combine her two passions — food and storytelling, with the intent of creating work that inspires, creates community, and raises cultural, social and environmental awareness.

Brummer is currently the founder of On-The-Grow, an educational food systems company that engages, educates, and equips urban communities with the skills to grow, cook, and preserve healthy food. Current clients include the City of Hope and The Greater San Gabriel Valley Cancer Support Community. In addition, she works as an Agroecology/Food Systems Instructor with Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture.

She holds a master’s in Public Administration/Crisis Communication for the University of Delaware and a journalism degree from Clark Atlanta University. In addition, she learned how to cook at the Institute of Culinary Education, the University of Gastronomic Sciences, and The Gourmandise School. She fine-tuned her visual storytelling skills at Sage Plant Based Bistro & Brewery as their creative director and learned the hard knocks of getting a food product on the shelves of grocery stores at Semolina Artisanal Pasta. Outside of the kitchen, she teaches Californians how to grow and preserve their food as a UC Master Gardener and UC Master Food Preserver.

But mostly, she lives to cook and eat with her friends, garden, and travel, hang out with her teenage daughter, sleep under the stars, read, write, and listen to good music.