Our Story

Christina Allen founded Food Leads in 2021 out of a desire to help Black families like her own. Growing up, she saw multiple family members diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and the news of her dad's diagnosis made this chronic condition, which affects over 32.6 million Americans, even more real for her. With more research, it became clear that the effect of Type 2 diabetes on Black communities was alarmingly disproportionate. Black people in Ohio are 77% more likely to die from Type 2 diabetes than White Ohioans, and Christina wanted to do something to change that. She applied to and won the 2021 Ohio State University President’s Prize which awards $100,000 to two graduating seniors to start a social change initiative. With this award, Christina founded Food Leads in the fall of 2021 with the goal of making it a little easier for Black Columbus residents to manage their Type 2 diabetes through improved nutrition.

In January of 2022, Danielle Jones, a nurse practitioner with a passion for addressing social determinants of health in marginalized communities, began working with Food Leads through an internship program at the Methodist Theological School of Ohio where she was earning a Masters Degree in Social Justice with a focus on ecological justice and food equity. In May 2022, Danielle joined Food Leads as the Co-Executive director. She is also passionate about disrupting the impact of diabetes on people’s health as her dad suffered from diabetes for over 25 years, ultimately passing as a result of diabetes-related complications.

Together, they work to make it easier for Black and low-income residents to manage their chronic conditions with improved nutrition. Food Leads aims to empower people to take charge of their own health and form a more nourishing relationship with food. Black populations in the United States have been historically marginalized in healthcare and our food system. We firmly believe that an equity approach that puts Black people at the center of our programming is essential if meaningful change is going to be possible for Black Columbus residents. Our belief in the importance of nutrition and equity is what motivates us to work towards a future where eating in a nourishing way is convenient for Black people everywhere.