Soraya was born and raised in New York and spent much of her childhood around the ocean and exploring the outdoors. With roots in Portugal, she spent summers visiting family overseas and traveling internationally, experiences that sparked a curiosity about different cultures, cuisines, what’s on our plate, and the stories behind how it gets to the table.

Shortly after graduating from Wheaton College, she packed up her car and moved to San Francisco, having never visited and not knowing a single person. Nearly a decade later, she has lived throughout the Bay Area and found a true sense of home in Northern California after spending time on a 160-acre farm near Tomales Bay, where she fell in love with the landscape and working with the land.

Soraya’s career in photojournalism took her to some of the most remote corners of the world, where she used storytelling and visual media to explore cultures, illuminate ideas, and document the human experience. Her work with social impact projects also brought her deeper into the Bay Area food world, where she collaborated with world renowned chefs, restaurants, farmers, and agricultural organizations. Along the way, becoming a beekeeper and organic gardener further deepened her passion for food - growing it, cooking it, eating it - and for building a more sustainable food system.

Today, Soraya is particularly passionate about crafting stories that amplify voices and bring greater focus to impactful, mission-driven work. Outside of work, Soraya enjoys yoga, surfing, and hiking with her Australian Shepherd, Marlo.