Meet the Team

Catherine Liu is the founder and CEO of Rise With Food, a nonprofit organization on a mission to fight hunger and support marginalized K–12 students and their families in her local community and beyond. By partnering with local restaurants, schools, and neighbors, Rise With Food provides nourishing meals, essential supplies, and educational resources to those who need them most.

Catherine’s journey began in a home where the kitchen table was always full—not just with food, but with laughter, warmth, and open arms. Her parents made their home a place where anyone in need of comfort or a hot meal was welcome. For Catherine, those moments weren’t just cherished memories—they were life lessons. She came to understand that food is more than sustenance. It’s love. It’s dignity. It’s connection.

As she grew older, Catherine saw with increasing clarity that not every child had that same sense of security. In her own backyard, she witnessed classmates arriving to school hungry, families quietly struggling to put healthy food on the table, and children falling behind—not for lack of ability, but for lack of access. The comfort and community that once surrounded her seemed like a luxury to so many others.

Motivated by these realities, Catherine founded Rise With Food to bring that same warmth and hope back into people’s lives—one meal at a time. What began as a small effort among friends has blossomed into a grassroots movement. Rise With Food has collaborated with local restaurants, school districts, and student volunteers to offer hot meals to families in crisis.

To Catherine, food is not a handout—it’s a bridge. A bridge to dignity, to opportunity, to belonging. She believes that every meal served is a message: You matter. You’re seen. We’re in this together.

And she’s not alone. With every donated meal, every restaurant that says yes, and every volunteer who gives their time, Rise With Food shows that fighting hunger is not just a global challenge—it’s a deeply local one. And together, we can rise.

 Caren Ye is the director of operations. She ensures that Rise With Food operates efficiently, enabling more resources to reach the communities that need them most. She is driven by a commitment to building systems that serve people with dignity and compassion, making support more accessible through thoughtful, practical improvements. By streamlining processes and strengthening teams, she helps advance the mission to combat food insecurity and reduce inequality.