Angelica Carey is Innovate Memphis’ Research Project Manager and does a little bit of everything with our team from food security to transportation to process improvement. Angelica’s background is in city planning, and she joined Innovate in 2022 through the No Kid Hungry City Innovation Fellowship where she analyzed gaps in a food rescue landscape report and developed a food resource referral prototype. Get to know Angelica’s contributions and insights here with our Staff Spotlight Q&A:
What do you enjoy most about working at Innovate Memphis?
While I mostly work independently, the team is full of incredibly bright minds with diverse backgrounds, so that allows for awesome collaboration at any stage of a project. I value other opinions in ideation and solution development, so it’s great to know that I do have others I can call on when needed to help me determine how to achieve the best outcome for a project. We’re always looking for ways we can help bring an idea into fruition, and we think long-term about how to sustain whatever project we’re a part of. We stay abreast of current local and global events and aim to support others with our skillsets and innovation model. I also love the flexibility of being able to work from wherever works for me. I have a few health conditions that require an aggressive management plan, and the flexibility and understanding at Innovate is extremely supportive to my health.
What are 1-2 insights you’ve learned from your food security research that our community can act on?
Continual outreach and communication are key to collaboration – both when sharing new ideas or programs and when trying to sustain engagement over time. Memphis has more nonprofit organizations than almost any other city in the U.S., and many of them provide food to those in need. We have engaged with 30+ such local organizations on an ongoing basis over the past two years to figure out how to improve the Memphis food system as a whole. I’ve also gotten feedback from families and individuals who have utilized these services to learn more about their experiences and where there are gaps and opportunities to improve food resources from their perspective. What we have learned is there is need for more coordination between small-scale food providers to share resources and information so they can have greater impact. For example, some providers could share food storage and refrigeration space so they can offer a wider variety of food to clients. We have also developed a prototype for an online resource directory (Memphis Food Finder) to make it easy for clients and providers alike to find out which organizations are offering food where and when that fits the client’s needs. For anyone reading, we are currently looking for a permanent home for the Memphis Food Finder, so contact us at info@innovatememphis.com if your organization is interested!
What are some hidden gems in Memphis more people need to know about?
Try smaller restaurants that may not look very trendy or updated. They’re still making great food and have inviting staff. While there’s a lot of struggle in this city, we have so many residents who are deeply empathetic, and if there’s trust, we can all achieve really great things. The more that people feel a part of something and are communicating with each other, the more likely they are to work together on common initiatives. One other thing I’ll say is, there’s more river than just what Tom Lee Park has to offer – so go out there and experience it!
Since you’ve previously participated in our 2020 Hackathon, what advice or encouragement would you give to someone who wants to participate in the upcoming 2024 Hackathon?
1) Team Building: Exchange contact information and make sure you understand why everyone has chosen that subject you all will be working on. It’s important to understand why you’re all there and what each of you can contribute based on your passions and skills.
2) Organization: Establish a goal and then working roles, milestones and times where you’ll work separately and then check in together.
3) Remember to have fun! It’s not meant to be stressful but more of an experience to get people to think deeply about something and generate new ideas. There’s not a lot of time, so if you can’t get to everything or there’s more to be researched, that’s okay and you should say so when you present your final project!
What are you looking forward to during the rest of 2024?
On a personal level, I’m looking forward to visiting new places and reconnecting with friends during my upcoming travel. I’m also enjoying my new work role supporting our Commute Options Schools program where we are partnering with families, students and faculty to encourage more walking and biking to get to and from school. Lastly, I’m also looking forward to some new professional development opportunities to network with other innovators and find ways to keep building on food security work here in Memphis. I got to experience some of this over the summer at the Urban Food Systems Symposium.