The Courageous Kitchen Team

Dwight

Director

Dwight is a Thai speaking American expat who originally came to Bangkok as an ESL teacher. He is passionate about using food to build and transform communities for the better. Dwight was born in Atlanta, Georgia and after falling in love with travel, pursued Intercultural Communication Studies at Sacramento State. Far from home, Dwight began working with vulnerable communities in Bangkok after discovering a close friend’s family had been homeless and was struggling to survive. He hopes to grow Courageous Kitchen into an organization whose mission resonates with people from all walks of life.

Dwight is also a Miller Center alumni, who was accepted into their GSBI program called ‘Social Entrepreneurship at the Margins‘ in 2018. 

Christy

Deputy Director

Christy is a Lao Isaan American daughter of refugees. She is the co-founder of Courageous Kitchen, and in 2014 teamed up with Dwight to develop Thai cooking classes. Her mission is to shape young leaders through culinary education. She has a background in youth programming, international development, and hospitality. Prior to starting her entrepreneurial ventures, Christy studied Hospitality Management at Brooklyn College and held several positions in the food industry. In 2020, she launched her second social enterprise, Tuk Tuk Box, a specialty food retailer that amplifies Southeast Asian communities through their subscription box model. Her work and recipes have been featured by Bangkok 101 Magazine, Travel + Leisure Asia, San Diego Union Tribune, and Buzzfeed. She is passionate about seeing and saving the world.
   

Dew

Program Liason

Dew graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Radio-Television-Films. Dew splits his time between his filmmaking ambitions and his passion for social justice. As one of Dwight’s oldest students, Dew has seen and volunteered with Courageous Kitchen through its different iterations over the years. As a Thai speaking citizen, he’s able to coordinate between the needs of the community and Courageous Kitchen as well as the different Thai agencies and authorities to advocate for health and safety Bangkok’s most marginalized.

Beatriz

Fundraising Development and Research

Beatriz Aurelio holds a Masters in Public Health from the University of San Francisco, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the California State University, Sacramento, and is a Masters of Science in Global Health candidate. Beatriz is passionate about breaking down barriers to health equity and strives to be an agent of change in the community. Beatriz has presented on health equity topics at the National School of Public Health in Cuba, Pantawid Pamilya Programs in Cainta, Philippines, and the United Nations University of Peace in Costa Rica, as well as for the Asian and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Active Minds, and other national organizations.

Volunteers and Interns

Teaching, Mentoring, and much more!

Much of Courageous Kitchen’s team is made up of volunteers who give their time to our program helping us reach people in need and fundraise. Even though we’re unable to list everyone’s name here, we’re grateful for all of their contributions. 

Charity Details

Food Experiences

"Leaders in the Kitchen, are Leaders in the Community!"