Nayantara Sen is a storyteller, writer, network builder, educator, and a defining practitioner in the field of narrative and cultural strategy. In the last two decades, Nayantara has trained thousands of activists, artists, educators and nonprofit professionals at the intersections of social justice, arts, culture, narrative and organizational change.

Nayantara joined the RFRS staff at the start of 2021, as we had begun to grow from a storytelling community into a culture change organization. Since she came on board at this pivotal moment in our work, we wanted to create an opportunity to reflect back on her time with the organization and offer a glimpse into some of the live questions and revelations that emerged.

Last month, Nayantara and Real Food Real Stories’ Narrative Strategist Shizue Roche Adachi sat down virtually for an expansive conversation on narrative and cultural strategy work in food, agriculture, and movement building. A meaty download, this conversation will be shared as a two-part series. In this first installment, we’ll dive into food’s role in reshaping our understanding of home, belonging, and our collective relationships in this time of social polarization, and what it means to embody transformative narratives as a daily practice.