THE SPARK
After two decades of working at the intersection of social innovation, community engagement, and storytelling, I’m embarking on a new chapter — one that brings together everything I care most about: food, connection, and meaningful change.
My journey has taken me through many worlds — from my time at Ashoka and the World Bank, to teaching and designing cooking programs at International School Manila and running my own social business. Through each of these experiences, I’ve come to believe that creativity, advocacy, and community aren’t separate paths — they belong together.
My latest book, Sour Cherries and Toast, became the seed for this next step. It reminded me that food is more than nourishment; it’s a language of belonging, a bridge across cultures, and a way to make sense of who we are. Out of that realisation came Stories That Feed Us — a social impact initiative that turns shared meals into shared meaning.
Rooted in storytelling, education, and connection, Stories That Feed Us began with my books and has grown into real-world programs: Cooking for Climate workshops at International School Manila, which grew from a classroom based workshop to an after school activity and now into a whole school immersive cooking experience focusing on building knowledge, skills and agency in the kitchen for pre K to G4 students. In 2025 my skills workshop reached 858 children and 90 teachers and continues to grow.
Stories that Feed us is also a space for conversations with parents raising Third Culture Kids, and now, Supper Clubs hosted by students and communities around the world.
Each Supper Club gathers at least eight people — often from different backgrounds, schools, or cities — to cook together, share stories, and rediscover the beauty of simply sitting down to listen. It’s an invitation to create a moment of warmth and reflection that can travel across borders and spark more of the same elsewhere.
Beyond connection, this work also supports action. For those who chose to use the supper clubs as a vehicle for fundraising as well they can do so. The funds raised from supper clubs, book sales, and merchandise help bring culinary literacy and food education programs to children around the world — from Upskills Foundation in the Philippines, to Spoons Across America in the U.S., and World Central Kitchen globally — along with new local partners I meet along the way.
My goal is simple: to help more communities gain access to food knowledge, practical cooking skills, and the joy that comes from gathering around a table. Because I’ve seen it firsthand — when we share food, we share hope, and when we share stories, we begin to understand one another just a little better.
Stories That Feed Us is a growing shared space for conversation about what happens when we slow down, share, and listen.
It invites people everywhere to come together around shared stories, experiences, and acts of care.
It began as a thread running through my books — Sour Cherries and Toast, The Rainbow That Feeds Us, and Where in the World I Come From — and grew into a living platform for connection across differences.
At its heart, Stories That Feed Us is about rediscovering what we already have in common: curiosity, compassion, and the ability to nourish each other — not just with food, but with attention, kindness, and presence.
Through Supper Clubs, children’s workshops, and storytelling gatherings, the movement builds bridges between cultures, generations, and communities — celebrating our shared humanity and our shared responsibility as stewards of one another and of the planet we call home.
THE MOVEMENT
VISION
To create a global community of listeners, storytellers, and changemakers united by the belief that shared stories — like shared meals — can heal divisions, nurture empathy, and inspire collective action.
WHY THIS MATTERS
We live in a time where it’s easy to scroll past one another, to consume more stories than we ever truly hear.
This movement is a gentle act of resistance — an invitation to reconnect through the simple rituals of daily life: cooking together, listening deeply, and sharing our stories as equals.
Each Supper Club or community gathering becomes a small circle of change — a space where we remember that connection is our greatest form of sustenance, and that each of us holds a story that can feed someone else.
GET INVOLVED
1
Host a Supper Club
Organise a community supper club to spark conversation on shared values or divergent opinions. A space to come together and deeply listen. A space to celebrate our shared humanity by adding one more seat at the table.
2
Cook With Us
Bring an immersive cooking experience into your school or community and help kids build life skills and cook a balanced meal from scratch using local ingredients. Diana runs workshops and trains trainers in Manila between August and June
3
Join a Conversation Club
This is safe space for third culture kids and their families to explore and articulate their sense of "home."
My goal is to build a support system for families navigating the complexities of multicultural identities, emphasising shared experiences and community connection.