Neftalí Durán, is a native of the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, and he came to the United States in 1997. He started his restaurant career in Los Angeles California, making his way East to Massachusetts. In 2022, Neftali continues to work as a chef but his passion is as a teacher with the No Kid Hungry Cooking Matters campaign.

This innovative program provides a long-term solution to hunger by teaching practical shopping and cooking skills that make the most of existing resources, even when time and money are tight. He was the owner of El Jardin Bakery at Nuestra Raices, Inc. for 13 years. His innovative teaching and advocacy of bringing food to those with little access have been covered both locally and nationally. He was a founding member of the I-Collective in 2017 which highlights indigenous contributions and wisdom to educate eaters and address food inequity. He was inducted as a Salzburg Global Fellow. The Salzburg Global Fellowship was established 75 years ago and has such prestigious members as Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Kofi Annan.

With over 25 years of experience in the food industry, Neftali is now using indigenous wisdom to educate people and address food inequity. Neftalí is always a familiar traveler on Monte’s March, a yearly event that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Food Bank of Western MA. Radio personality and local activist in his own right Monte Belmonte will be introducing Neftali at the Carlos Vega Fund event on October 1st. Also, the event honored the memory of founding member and long time friend of Carlos, Mary Birks, who died last year.