Jaeden Thomas joins the Harper Slade Team with a background in education and curriculum development, non-profits and community-driven work, farming, food, environmental and land justice work, and multiculturalism. Jaeden was raised in San Antonio, Texas, a city with a long and culturally rich and diverse history. Prior to her undergraduate studies, she took her love of people and education with her to Monteverde, Costa Rica where she fell in love with the Spanish language and the idea of garden-based education and land stewardship for young students. She holds a bachelors in Spanish from Berea College, where her studies also held an emphasis in Education and Public Health. Shortly after completion of her undergraduate studies, she went on to receive a Masters of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was able to student teach in multicultural schools as well as received racial literacy training, helping her to tune her heart and mind more to this line of work.

After teaching in both private and public schools, in Louisville, KY, Jaeden shifted her education focus to the non-profit sector where she lead young students in garden-based education with an emphasis on cooking and holistic health, but also worked with community partners to advocate for land access and food sovereignty. The work of the non-profit was also focused on managing a local urban farm where young people and community members learning about sustainable practices, the environment, and employed regenerative farming practices, highlighting the voices of other local farmers and emphasizing the work of farmers of color.

She dives into her work with Harper Slade with an understanding of the intricate intersection of these seemingly disparate areas of study and interest, but understanding that equity and the pursuit of justice are at the heart of each.