Board of Directors

Bren Herrera

Founder + Executive Director

Bren Herrera is a celebrated culinary artist, TV host, author, speaker and passionate community advocate known for her work on ‘Culture Kitchen’ and her dedication to cultural representation and inclusion. Bren’s advocacy and awareness of community needs started when she was a child and started honing in while working in corporate law. There she did important pro bono work for the AIDS community in Washington DC, and later producing night events in Atlanta. Her passion for serving under privileged and underrepresented communities started building there. In 2008, after the devastating tornado that crushed Haiti and the tsunami that took millions of lives in Japan, Bren formed and started hosting culinary events and fundraisers to provide aid relief to groups needing assistance.

For almost a decade, Bren supported Share Our Strength and it’s food program, No Kid Hungry, as a volunteer chef and social advocate, developing and offering food instruction and classes to men and women on government assistance.

Bren is a Board of Trustee member of the IDEA fund, an alumni-based non-profit organization, supporting DEI efforts at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Ron Taylor

Director of Finance

Ron currently serves as the CFO of Athelas Institute, Inc., which provides health and residential services to adults with developmental differences throughout the Washington, DC/Baltimore region. Prior to this current role, Ron spent 20 years consulting with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and CBRE, providing accounting and advisory services to global Fortune 100 companies in various business sectors.

Additionally, Ron has also served as the Director of Finance and Operations for Erickson Living, managing the accounting, billing & collections, contract management, reporting, and operations functions. Throughout his career, aside from leading day-to-day financial operations activities, Ron has excelled in partnering with organization leaders, advisory boards, and staff members on long-term strategic planning to ensure organization goals are supported. Ron received an MBA from Regis University (Denver, CO) a Masters in Healthcare Administration from the George Washington University’s Milken Institute (Washington, DC) and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Business and Health Management.

Mr. Taylor will be leading our financial needs and goals at the foundation, working closely with our partners and partners-to-be to garner the support we need. He is also one of our dedicated long-term volunteers for our annual Bren + Friends Serve DC program.

Aubrey W. Fountain, III. Esq.

Legal Officer

Aubrey Woolworth Fountain, III, Esquire began his legal career under the tutelage of prominent civil rights attorney Oliver W. Hill (Brown vs Board of Education) and Senator Henry L. Marsh.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Minor in City Planning from the University of Virginia and a dual Master’s Degree in Regional Planning and Juris Doctor of Law from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Aubrey’s background lends itself greatly to the physical, social, and economic needs of the community, metropolitan areas and housing, real estate and corporate matters.

Mr. Fountain will be lending his legal expertise to the foundation as it relates to our efforts in partnerships with corporations, and ensuring legal compliance.

Dr. Lisa Grillo

Dr. Lisa Grillo is the proud President of Elizabeth Seton High School and holds the honor of being the first laywoman and woman of color to lead Seton in this role. With over 30 years of experience as a leader, teacher, and scholar, Dr. Grillo is deeply committed to creating transformative educational opportunities for young women.

Alongside her role at Seton, Dr. Grillo serves in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the Howard University School of Education, where she has held positions as assistant and adjunct professor, program coordinator, and assessment coordinator. Her research focuses on the leadership journeys of Black and Latina women in education—work that reflects her passion for equity and representation in leadership spaces. Dr. Grillo is an experienced, passionate, and innovative leader with a focus on significantly improving outcomes for diverse student groups. She is results-oriented with expertise in strategic planning, data-driven decision-making, building effective professional teams, and strengthening family and community engagement. Her research also explores culturally responsive and social justice leadership models at both the school and district levels.

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Grillo to our board, as she brings a sharp educational lens, critical perspective, deep commitment to equity, and a strategic vision that aligns powerfully with our mission to uplift and serve marginalized communities through food, education, and advocacy.

our Partners

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Our organization serves thousands of families and children every year. We are able to grow and have lasting impact through the kindness and generosity of sponsors, partners, and volunteers. We look forward to you getting involved!

Mission Statement

The Bren Herrera Foundation empowers marginalized communities in the Washington, D.C.-area, by providing essential resources, advocacy, and programs that promote dignity, equity, and lasting impact.