Our team
Clare Mengebier
Clare Mengebier first found her passion for sustainable food systems getting her hands dirty in a community vegetable garden in Seattle. Seeing how food can be used to heal the soil and feed those in need sparked her desire to deepen her impact in the community when she moved to San Diego. Clare is an Eco Docent with Solana Center where she facilitates education on composting and food waste and also helps run San Diego Green Drinks, a monthly networking event for the San Diego environmental community. In her professional life, she has worked across impact investing, international development, and public health research and now manages operations for Rocky Mountain Institute, a think tank working on climate research and policy.
Christina Ng
A San Diego transplant by way of San Francisco, Christina is a personal chef and food educator rooted in supporting local farms and California growers at every meal served. A graduate of University of California, Davis, in the area of Food Science, Christina has worked in various arenas of the food service industry including grocery, catering, hospitality, and corporate kitchen positions, and today she draws on all of those experiences to drive her events and classes across San Diego County. In January 2020, Christina accepted a part-time staff position as Foundation Cultivator for Berry Good Food.
Keiko Nishikawa
Born and raised in Ensenada, Baja California, and graduating with a pyschology degree from CETYS Universidad, Keiko Nishikawa found her calling in public relations within the Baja wine industry for a sense of commitment to the construction of the social fabric. During her career, she has organized dozens of harvest events (Fiestas de la Vendimia) for various wineries, and worked with the Pérez Castro family, where she had the opportunity to grow alongside Lomita winery and participate in the creation and opening of Finca La Carrodilla, the first organic and biodynamic winery in the region. Another passion emerged with her work for Bodegas de Santo Tomás, recognized as the oldest winery in the region with over 135 years of history, but even more so for its social commitment to the community. Keiko leads not only the company’s public relations, including events, participation in chambers, associations, and more, but also one of the winery’s greatest undertakings: the creation of Plaza Santo Tomás. Additionally, in 2022 Keiko co-founded Micha Micha, a canned wine brand, with enologist Cristina Pino. This was the first business of its kind in the state and the only one in the country exclusively led by women. Together, they have broken patterns and paradigms, reaching a new market of wine consumers. Other notable work experience includes working with adolescents at the Municipal Institute for Youth in Tijuana, creating social programs within the public security system of the Security Board of the State of Baja California, and serving as director of UNIDEP campuses in Tijuana, Puerto Peñasco, and Manzanillo, Colima. She is a columnist on wine-related topics for the local Ensenada newspaper and the national magazine El Conocedor, as well as other publications. She is the mother of a wonderful son, Kenzo, who is her most important, challenging, and valuable work. She is a lover of the sea, and is an open-water swimmer and diver.
Katherine Randall
Prior to founding Katalyst PR in 2010, Katherine garnered her PR knowledge working both in-house and at several top lifestyle PR firms directing publicity campaigns, as well as launching e-commerce business as the director of communication. This vast experience provided Katherine with an in-depth understanding of PR, digital marketing and social media. Katherine founded Katalyst to work with brands and industries she and her team are passionate about, while providing a hands-on approach and creating long term partnerships with clients, a goal the agency still holds. Originally from Chicago, Katherine graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with degrees in Journalism and Business, and has called San Diego home since 2003.