The Team | Anabel's Grocery

Our Committees & Coordinators

The student team is comprised of five core committees:

People and Operations
Purchasing, Sales, & Product Promotion
Marketing
Collaboration and Education
Fundraising and Finances

Each committee is compromised of its coordinators and members, who are currently enrolled in AEM 3385: Practicum in Social Entrepreneurship, and work within a flat hierarchy of power. Each committee has one designated liaison to the advisory board, CTA's Executive Director & Operations Director, and AEM 3385 respectively. All committees meet weekly and are charged with a set of responsibilities to uphold the organization's mission and values. In this flat structure, i.e. one in which every person's voice and vote are equal, each member takes one or several roles within a committee and takes on shifts to stock, cashier, and organize the store.

Roxy Moore

Store Operations

Class of 2024: Environment & Sustainability

Jacob Blizard

Store Operations

Class of 2025: Environment & Sustainability

People and Operations

The People and Operations Committee is responsible for all work relating to staff and to store operations. This includes:

Developing and maintaining in-store procedures and protocols
Staffing the store
Keeping the store stocked with necessary supplies
Ensuring the store is clean and able to pass inspection at an time
Being accountable to those managing Anabel Taylor Hall so we always stay on the right side of building rules
Communicating with and training all staff so that our in-store procedures work; the store is a well-organized and welcoming place; and CTA operations and HR policies are being followed

Trisha Bhujle

Purchasing

Class of 2026: Environment & Sustainability

Ella Wilkinson

Purchasing

Class of 2025: Nutritional Sciences

Purchasing, Sales, and Product Promotion

The Purchasing, Sales and Product Promotion committee is responsible for all work related to inventory, sales analytics, and vendor relations. This includes:

Assessing sales and financial reports
Curating a culturally diverse, sustainably sourced, and nutritious product mix that meets customers' recommendations and dietary needs
Pricing products so they are at or below comparative prices
Maintaining good relationships with all our vendors and reaching out to potential new vendors
Scheduling weekly deliveries
Ensuring that vendors are paid in a timely manner
Promoting products and sales with in-store displays and samples

Roni Ben-Shlomo

Marketing

Class of 2025: Biological Sciences

Parker Platkin

Marketing

Class of 2025: Human Development

Marketing

The Marketing Committee is responsible for all work related to Anabel’s public relations, marketing, and outreach to key stakeholders including donors, Cornell administrators and other key stakeholders. This work includes:

Updating and maintaining our website and social media
Publishing a weekly newsletter
Responding to media inquiries and inquiries from external organizations and key stakeholders including Cornell alumni, donors and administrators
Providing reports of our social impact to these key stakeholders
Implementing an effective marketing strategy to increase foot traffic to the store and attract diverse shoppers

Blythe Van Ness

Collaboration & Education

Class of 2026: Environment & Sustainability

Teagan Smith

Collaboration & Education

Class of 2025: Environmental Engineering

Noa Dijstelbloem

Collaboration & Education

Class of 2025: Agricultural Sciences

Collaboration & Education

The Collaboration and Education Committee, or CollabEdu, is responsible for creating recipes, blogs, articles, food guides, and other food justice related work to be distributed by the Marketing committee. CollabEdu also hosts cooking demonstrations and partners with other student organizations to host coalition- building community events.

Fundraising & Finances

The Fundraising and Finances Committee is dedicated to ensuring that Anabel's can continue to do all the amazing work we do by acquiring sufficient, sustained funding for the store. The goal of this committee is to support our subsidy fund (which allows us to maintain low prices for high-quality products!), wages for coordinators, and overhead costs through fundraising to assist Anabel’s in fulfilling its mission of creating an equitable and ecologically-sound food system for the Cornell community. The committee is responsible for developing and overseeing fundraising campaigns, creating a donor newsletter, and reviewing financial reports to gain insight into customer behavior.

Our Mission

To provide fresh, nutritious, and affordable food for all Cornell students. Through our store and educational programs, we provide information about the connection between quality food, health, justice, and sustainability. By collaborating with diverse student organizations and local food producers, our student-run, nonprofit food store is a learning lab dedicated to creating an equitable and ecologically-sound food system.

Our Seven Values

Assume Goodwill: Suspend judgment
Be Your Word: Do what you said you would do
Experience the Edges: Be willing to be uncomfortable
Respect Autonomy: Encourage ownership
Design for the Margins: Take care of those in the margins for the greater good
Create to Regenerate: Minimize your environmental impact
Recognize that Impact Matters: Examine your ripple effects

Testimonials

"I had the opportunity to speak with a past student regarding the course and its objectives, which peaked my interest. As a Dyson student, Anabel's Grocery satisfies a Grand Challenges requirement, but I found a deeper connection to the course through its social entrepreneurship focus. In Fall 2019 as I wrote my Dyson admissions essay before eventually joining the class of 2024, there was no topic that spoke to me more than social entrepreneurship, and I feel re-dedicated to this passion through Anabel's. For the first two years of Dyson curriculum, there are many requirements like statistics and financial accounting, but taking Anabel's has granted me the opportunity to reflect on what I gain from my courses as well as how I use what I learn in the classroom to make a tangible impact in my larger community. My favorite part by far is the community! Everyone is so welcoming and supportive, making it instantly feel like family, and everyone is passionate about the mission."

Kellie Graves '24 (she/ her)

Philadelphia, PA

AEM

"I was inspired to join Anabel’s because of its commitment to providing fresh, affordable groceries on Cornell’s campus. In addition to collaborating with local vendors, my favorite part of working at Anabel’s is connecting with other students through food, from chatting about new products in the store to cooking meals together at community dinners."

Elinor Behlman '26 (she/her)

Montclair, NJ

Environment & Sustainability

"I joined Anabel's to learn more about the intersection between food systems and social change. It's so meaningful to be part of such a vibrant group of people who care about food and community-building!"

Eliza Gifford '24 (she/ her)

Saratoga Springs, NY

Environment & Sustainability

A Note on Governance

We are a not-for-profit social enterprise housed within The Center for Transformative Action (CTA), an independent, education-based nonprofit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with Cornell University. As a project of CTA, Anabel’s does not have separate legal standing and is required to uphold CTA’s policies and procedures as determined by the CTA Executive Director and the CTA board of directors. CTA’s board of directors is legally responsible for all our activities. As part of CTA’s organizational structure, we have an advisory board that supports our student-led team by offering strategic and programmatic guidance, financial oversight, and fundraising support. Once a month, advisory board members join the student team’s All-Staff meeting.

Our Committees & Coordinators

People and Operations

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Purchasing, Sales, and Product Promotion

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Marketing ​The Marketing Committee is responsible for all work related to Anabel’s public relations, marketing, and outreach to key stakeholders including donors, Cornell administrators and other key stakeholders. This work includes:

Updating and maintaining our website and social media

Publishing a weekly newsletter

Responding to media inquiries and inquiries from external organizations and key stakeholders including Cornell alumni, donors and administrators

Providing reports of our social impact to these key stakeholders

Implementing an effective marketing strategy to increase foot traffic to the store and attract diverse shoppers

Collaboration & Education

​

Fundraising & Finances

​

Our Mission

Our Seven Values

Testimonials

Kellie Graves '24 (she/ her)

Philadelphia, PA

AEM

Elinor Behlman '26 (she/her)

Montclair, NJ

Environment & Sustainability

Eliza Gifford '24 (she/ her)

Saratoga Springs, NY

Environment & Sustainability

A Note on Governance

Marketing

The Marketing Committee is responsible for all work related to Anabel’s public relations, marketing, and outreach to key stakeholders including donors, Cornell administrators and other key stakeholders. This work includes: