Meet the People Behind
Taste of Change

Mariana Arenas Vanegas

Community Advocate

Mariana brings warmth, empathy, and a global perspective to her role as Community Advocate at Taste of Change. Originally from Colombia, she speaks Spanish and English and is also proficient in French and German. Her experience in hospitality, tourism, and childcare has centered on creating safe, welcoming, and supportive environments for children and families.

Mariana’s commitment to service began in childhood, when she started volunteering with underserved communities, and has grown into a lifelong passion for helping others feel included, cared for, and empowered. Having grown up with multiple food allergies, she also understands firsthand how food can affect physical comfort, mental clarity, and emotional well-being. Her personal journey gives her a meaningful connection to Taste of Change’s mission of making nutrition knowledge and wholesome food more accessible to individuals and families.

Zago Nicola

Chef Advisor

Originally from a small town outside Venice, Italy, Zago’s love of cooking began in his grandmother’s kitchen. A famous local chef who ran a farm-to-table organic restaurant, she taught him that the best meals are made with fresh, local ingredients, simple techniques, and, above all, love. When she passed away, she left Zago her treasured recipe book, inspiring him to carry her culinary legacy forward.

After a 26-year career as an international flight steward, Zago retired and pursued his lifelong passion for food by training as a chef at DIEFFE – Accademia delle Professioni. His years of traveling the world exposed him to diverse cuisines, as well as to the challenges busy professionals face in finding wholesome, nourishing meals while balancing long hours, demanding schedules, and constant travel.

Drawing on both his grandmother’s timeless recipes and his global experiences, Zago develops approachable dishes that are nutritious, affordable, and easy to prepare. His mission is to help people enjoy the comfort and health benefits of home-cooked food, no matter how busy life becomes.

Jasmine Von

Chief Food Advocate

Jasmine’s commitment to nutrition began with her own search for answers after years of chronic bloating, digestive discomfort, and unexplained pain. Through careful observation and experimentation, she discovered sensitivities to high-FODMAP foods, certain nightshades, and lactose. Adjusting her diet dramatically improved not only her physical health, but also her patience, energy, and emotional well-being. That experience inspired her belief that understanding how food affects the individual can be life-changing.

Jasmine brings extensive nonprofit and private-sector leadership experience to Taste of Change. She previously served as Chair of Westside Waldorf School, where she helped guide the organization through a merger, restructuring, and the loss of its primary campus following the Los Angeles fires. A graduate of INSEAD, NYU, and the Sunbridge Institute’s Collaborative Leadership program, she is dedicated to making nourishing food and practical nutrition education equitable, understandable, and accessible to all.