Our Team

Ayan

Carlton & Flemington Market Assistant

Ayan Shirwa is passionate about cultivating safe and supportive environments where the community feels seen and heard. Ayan recently completed a Community Service IV course and is excited to use her new found knowledge to create enriching experiences for the community. Ayan’s favourite fruit is mango.

Cassie

Fitzroy Market Assistant

Cassie is passionate about local food systems and how social connection is created by breaking bread together. As a Fitzroy local Cassie has been shopping at The Community Grocer since its inception. The relationships made at the market have led to employment opportunities in local food programs and, a deep-rooted connection to community. Cassie’s favourite fruit is Mango and her favourite veg is Beetroot! You really can't beat a beet!

Chloe

Pakenham Market Assistant

Chloe is a nutrition student who has been passionate about food and where it comes from since a young age. She loves how it brings people together and believes everyone should have access to affordable, fresh food. She has been volunteering at the Pakenham Market for over a year now and her favourite fruit and veg are strawberries and broccoli.

Georgia

CEO

Georgia’s background is in public health and community development. In 2012 she discovered a new passion for food (selling it, growing it, eating it!) and saw first hand its ability to connect community in meaningful ways. Georgia was in fact one of the first employees at The Community Grocer way back then. In the years since, Georgia has built her experience running operations for a number of not-for-profit organisations and has sat on Boards for Farmer Incubator, The Community Grocer and the Gordon Farmgate (where she lives in Western Victoria). Georgia’s favourite vegetables are from the brassica family - broccoli and kale, which grows perfectly in the cold climate where she lives.

Jemima

Market Assistant

Jemima is a geography student with an interest in food security and food access. She is passionate about fresh, sustainable and accessible food and is excited to work with The Community Grocer

Mads

OPerations manager Carlton & FLEMINGTON Market manager

Mads is passionate about food security and sustainable food systems and has recently completed her Bachelor of Food and Nutrition Sciences. They believe nourishing food is important for more than just physical and mental health as it also has the ability to bring people together. Having grown up in Gippsland, Mads often enjoyed spending time helping out her parents in their big vegetable garden and trying out new recipes. Mads’ favourite fruit and veg are tangelos and eggplants but admits it’s hard to beat the good old fashioned potato in terms of versatility

Mel

PAKENHAM MARKET MANAGER

Mel is a lifelong food afficionado! She is both an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and also a qualified Chef, with over 30 years experience in the hospitality industry, including running her own catering business. She aspires to weave her food knowledge, and dietetics skills into a career with a public health and food security focus, to help people achieve a healthy life through enjoying food and eating well. She lives in the Dandenong Ranges with her partner and two children. Mel loves the natural world, and adores spending time in her garden, in particular the vegetable and herb patch. Her favourite fruit is cherries, which she looks forward to picking from the local farms in her neighbourhood at the start of summer every year.

Mon

Fitzroy Market Manager

Mon’s love for food originates from their love for community. They have worked in community spaces, collaborating closely with young people, queer communities and people from migrant and refugee backgrounds on projects that work to platform their perspectives and foreground their agency. And while it hasn’t been a central part of their work, bringing people together over food - whether its with family, friends or community - is one of their favourite things to do. Mon’s favourite produce changes with the season, at the moment it’s neither fruit, nor veg - it’s the humble mushroom!

Roni

food systems researcher

Roni’s favourite things include cooking Keralan and Malaysian dishes, eating other cultural foods with friends, and generally being surrounded by colourful and fragrant dishes and produce. She grew up in a food manufacturing enterprise run by her migrant parents in Malaysia and her favourite projects while working in food systems have been focused on supporting equitable access to food with dignity among diverse migrant communities. Her favourite veg is kailan (chinese broccoli) and favourite fruit is papaya.