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We help children transcend their quality of life by revolutionizing school lunches and providing education about real food.
Food Paradigm builds and implements a collaborative, real-food school lunch program. This tailored program is rooted in functional, evidence-based principles, for an immediate positive impact on learning, as well as teaching children and caregivers that adopting healthy food habits will support a lifetime of physical, mental, and social health.
The founders of Food Paradigm are parents who have seen the transformative impact that solid nutrition has on a child’s life. Children deserve our best efforts to ensure their greatest quality of life is met now and forever.
As a former engineer and current Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Thursall is in a unique position to lead the team as Co-Executive Director of Food Paradigm. Her experience working with complex software systems naturally shaped how she would later dig into understanding the body systems. Thursall brings a wealth of holistic nutrition knowledge to Food Paradigm which has deeply influenced her desire to help children experience real food and improved health impacts. School lunches have been a complex problem for decades and are in desperate need of practical and nutritional solutions. Powered by love and a caring nature, Thursall intends to use her love of learning, project management and relationship building skills to lead Food Paradigm towards a brighter future for the children.

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Food Paradigm

Thursall Cellé

Karla Wilson

Chef Lauren Williams

Peiyao Guo

Bill Holmes

Mia Kendricks

Boo! Food Paradigm wishes you a happy Halloween full of treats and hopefully very little tricks! Have a fun and spooky October 31st. #FoodParadigm #Halloween #Raleigh #NorthCarolina

We would like to express gratitude to all our volunteers for your work and support. Your dedication and time is what drives our organization and programming. Thank you for being a part of the change! #Volunteering #FoodParadigm #Raleigh #NorthCarolina #Gratitude

Not only does scratch-cooking look yummier, it is also lower in added sugars and saturated fats and higher in protein and fiber. Feed kids yummier, healthier meals. #Foodparadigm #Scratchcooking #Raleigh #RISE DISCLAIMER: Nutrition information is estimated from recipes.

This week's board spotlight will be highlighting our wonderful VP and co-director Karla! She has done great work on-site and behind the scenes for Food Paradigm. Karla has exemplified empowering dedication to the organization. Karla highlights her time on site stating: "The on-site visits remind me exactly why this work matters. I always leave feeling re-energized and more committed than ever to making this a reality for kids. At RISE especially, the excitement from the student ambassadors is contagious. You can feel how much this pilot means to them. That energy drives me. My hope extends well beyond the classroom, though. The staff at RISE already do a beautiful job of making these kids feel seen, cared for, and valued, and I want this work to be just another layer of that. Another reminder to each child that they matter, that their health matters, and that the people around them are invested in their whole wellbeing." Thank you for all your work, Karla, this wouldn't be possible without you!

School meals reach children every single school day. That's what makes them such a powerful opportunity to improve health, support learning, and help every child thrive. For many students at RISE, school meals are more than lunch—they're one of the most consistent sources of food each day. Follow along on our journey to change RISE and revolutionize school meals. #FoodParadigm #RISE #Awareness #Raleigh #Scratchcooking #SchoolLunch #Explore

Happy 4th of July from Food Paradigm! We hope you have a great day celebrating freedom in the sun and fireworks! #FoodParadigm #4thofJuly #Independnece #Freedom #Fireworks #Summer #Explore

Same school. Same lunch period. Same kids. Current meal: 30g of added sugar. Our scratch-cooked taco lunch: 4g.That's not a small difference. That's the difference between a meal built around packaged food and one built around real ingredients. This is what we're building at RISE Charter School. Real food. From scratch. Starting this fall. #FoodParadigm #SchoolFood #ScratchCooking #RealFood #RISECharter #SchoolLunch #KidsDeserveMore DISCLAIMER: Nutrition information is estimated from recipes.

We want to highlight our Program Coordinator - Mia! Mia has been visiting RISE and working with the amazing student ambassadors, evaluating current processes and working behind the scenes on all the complex topics of school meals. Thank you for your time and dedication Mia, it is truly inspiring! #foodparadigm #food #paradigm #RISE

Happy Juneteenth! Today we honor the freedom, resilience, and enduring contributions of Black Americans to our communities and our country. At Food Paradigm, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. We remain committed to helping schools create nourishing meal programs that support health, learning, and connection for all students. Wishing our community a meaningful Juneteenth. #Juneteenth #FoodParadigm #Nourish #SchoolMeals #Community

Please help us welcome Dean Ogan to the Food Paradigm board! Dean jumps in at 1000% for anything he firmly believes in and we are grateful he has jumped in on this mission as our culinary expert. Dean Ogan discovered his passion for hospitality at just 14 years old while working as a dishwasher at The Rumson Country Club in his home state of New Jersey. Since opening his first restaurant, Michael Dean’s, in 1998, Dean has become one of the Triangle’s most respected leaders in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Over the course of his career, Dean has launched more than a dozen restaurants, three catering companies, and two special event venues, helping shape the region’s culinary landscape along the way. Most recently, he owned and operated Rocky Top Catering, one of the Triangle’s premier catering companies for weddings, corporate events, and special occasions, where he now serves as founder and senior advisor. Deeply committed to philanthropy and community impact, Dean has dedicated much of his career to giving back through initiatives such as Cooking for the Kids, Overflowing Hands, and Oak City Cares, helping provide meals and support to thousands throughout the community. His contributions have earned numerous honors, including the Triangle NACE Lifetime Achievement Award, Triangle Business Journal Corporate Philanthropy and Top NC Corporate Philanthropist Awards, and the NCRLA Ken Conrad Award for Community Service and Restaurateur of the Year Award. Chef Dean’s belief in the power of nutritious food, hospitality, and service continues to drive his mission to create meaningful change and strengthen the community he proudly serves. #SchoolFood #CommunityImpact #NorthCarolina #NonprofitLeadership

Same school. Same lunch period. Same kids. Same price. A 12-year-old needs real fuel. The current catered lunch at RISE Charter School delivers 33g of protein. Our scratch-cooked Taco Thursday delivers 49g - nearly 50% more. More protein. Less added sugar. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Lower sodium. And same reimbursement rate of $4.62. Get the most out of the $4.62 with #FoodParadigm #ScratchCooking #SchoolLunch #RealFood #RISECharter #Raleigh #KidNutrition DISCLAIMER: Nutrition information is estimated from recipes.

Our pilot school, RISE Charter in Raleigh, will debut this fall! Since 2024, Food Paradigm has been visiting the site, performing kitchen assessments, organizing preview dinners, working with student ambassadors, and so much more behind the scenes work. We are so excited to see the impact Food Paradigm's scratch cooking will have on RISE this fall. Thank you for everyone's continuous support! #FoodParadigm #RISE #SchoolLunch #ScratchCooking #Raleigh #NorthCarolina #Explore #Recap

We had a blast at Cary's Kids Food Fest! It was a fantastic gathering of families, educators, and food advocates who care deeply about what children eat. Seeing the excitement on kids’ faces is all the fuel we need to keep going! 😁 #explore #foodparadigm #cary #northcarolina #nutrition #schoollunch

Please help us welcome Roxie Cash to the Food Paradigm board. She has been a constant supporter of our mission since the beginning and we are honored to have her officially on the board. Roxie grew up on a farm in Iowa where home-cooked meals were prepared from scratch three times a day by her mother and grandmother. Cooking happened throughout the day so those working on the farm could do their best work, and those experiences shaped how she thinks about food and caring for others.Roxie attended pharmacy school at Drake University in Iowa and Creighton University in Nebraska and has practiced hospital pharmacy throughout her career with an emphasis in oncology.After moving to North Carolina with her family, Roxie became deeply involved in public education and served on the Wake County Board of Education for 18 years. Through her time on the board, she developed a strong passion for public education and supporting children and families in her community.Roxie sees the need for healthier school meals because she understands that, for some children, school food may be one of the most consistent sources of nutrition they receive each day. She believes children deserve meals they will actually enjoy eating and sees scratch cooking as an important opportunity to improve participation and reduce food waste in schools.Roxie continues to serve on nonprofit boards across Wake County and believes strongly in giving back to her community. She lives in North Carolina and treasures time with her four children and fifteen grandchildren, who are the focus of her life. #SchoolFood #CommunityImpact #NorthCarolina #NonprofitLeadership

Thank you to Education North Carolina for sharing the news about our pilot program at RISE Charter School with a broader audience and capturing the spirit of what we're trying to do with our partners. From our co-founder Thursall Celle: “At a high level, school food today is shaped by convenience, speed, and cost. Schools do their best but are limited by the system." “The challenge isn’t just food, it’s a systems problem. Schools don’t typically have the time, knowledge, or infrastructure to redesign their programs. Food Paradigm exists to help bridge that gap with structure, coordination, and the right expertise.” Visit our website or reach out online if you'd like to learn more about how we work and how we're trying to help make the next generation of school kids healthier through better food. Link in comments. #ScratchFood #SchoolFood #HealthyFood

A few hours Saturday? Kids Food Fest. Join us for a simple, fun volunteer shift with families in Cary. @kidsfoodfestfun @downtowncarypark #KidsFoodFest #DowntownCaryPark #CaryNC #FoodParadigm #RealFoodForKids

Please help us welcome Bill Holmes to the Food Paradigm board! Bill brings 30 years of experience in communications and outreach experience, including an award-winning career in journalism before becoming an advisor to the North Carolina Speaker of the House, the State Auditor, and two cabinet secretaries. His passion for rural development led him to the NC Rural Center, where he leads communications and outreach efforts. Bill holds bachelor's and master's degrees from N.C. State University. He now teaches at the university and has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus of master's in public administration program. In addition to volunteering at Food Paradigm, Bill is the founding board chair of the North Carolina Library Foundation and tutors ESL students. #SchoolFood #CommunityImpact #NorthCarolina #NonprofitLeadership

Welcome to one of our newest board members, Duke University scholar Peiyao Guo, a Bridge Fellow in classical studies completing a master's degree in humanities. Peiyao's academic work focuses on the ancient Mediterranean world, with advanced training in Latin and Ancient Greek. Beyond his scholarship, Peiyao is deeply committed to community and civic engagement. He serves on the City of Durham Human Relations Commission, contributes to Climate Advocacy for All as an editor, and volunteers with Duke’s Human Rights Center Student Advisory Board. Peiyao brings a thoughtful, interdisciplinary perspective to Food Paradigm, grounded in both his academic work and his commitment to community impact. His experience in civic engagement and passion for equity and education align strongly with our mission, and we’re looking forward to his contributions as we continue to grow. #SchoolFood #CommunityImpact #NorthCarolina #NonprofitLeadership

Students, teachers, school board members, former Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane, and others from across the community came to the table Tuesday night for a preview of the scratch-made meals that will be served at RISE Charter Academy starting this fall. The event marked an important milestone for Food Paradigm and its pilot project with RISE, showing what’s possible when school meals are prepared more intentionally, with real ingredients, less waste, and student health in mind. Chef Dean Ogan prepared the Taco Tuesday meal, and Overflowing Hands shared its commitment to helping fund the kitchen upgrades needed to bring scratch cooking to life at RISE. After the meal, Food Paradigm co-founder Thursall Celle, board member Roxie Cash, Chef Dean Ogan, and RISE school leaders answered questions about the vision, costs, and what it will take to bring this work to life. Thank you to everyone who came out to support RISE and Food Paradigm. We have a busy summer ahead as we finish building out the details, and we can’t wait to get started this fall. If you’d like to help build healthier school food systems in North Carolina, we’d love to connect. #ScratchFood #HealthyFood #SchoolFood

Karla, Mia, and Thursall (not pictured, Dean) - the core team behind the RISE Scratch Cooking Pilot - got to spend some time together recently at the Cooking for Kids fundraiser hosted by OverFlowing Hands. Food Paradigm was honored to be chosen as a beneficiary of this event, with funds raised going directly toward the kitchen we're working to transform at RISE Academy. Nights like this one remind us what's possible when a community rallies around nourishing kids. Real food for kids takes a village. Food Paradigm is planning for a big year ahead. With the generous support of the Cooking for Kids fundraiser and the team at OverFlowing Hands, we're building a scratch-cooking system that works for real school life. That means menus kids enjoy, operations staff can run, and a plan schools can sustain for the long term. We were grateful to be part of this event. Reach out to our team if you're a school or a potential partner who would like to learn more. #FoodParadigm #CookingForKids #OverFlowingHands #RISECharter #SchoolFood #Community

The Cooking for the Kids 2026 chef competition will hold its finale February 24 at Millbrook Manor in Raleigh with $10,000 on the line for the winner. All proceeds support the nonprofit Overflowing Hands in its mission to fight food insecurity and empower children and families through community programs. We're beyond delighted that this year they have selected Food Paradigm as one of those programs. Any donations will go to support our pilot program to bring scratch made food to the nearly 500 students at RISE Charter School. Please support Cooking for the Kids if you can. Our Co-Executive Director Karla Wilson attended nearly every night of the preliminary rounds of the competition joined by RISE Executive Director Dawn Arthur; Mia, our program administrator; and a few volunteers and friends. Best of luck to the chefs in the finale, Chef Kyle Fletcher of Glasshouse Kitchen in Research Triangle Park and Chef Harry Monds of Lula & Sadie’s in Durham. Visit the Overflowing Hands website https://www.overflowinghands.org/ for tickets and to learn more. #FoodParadigm #scratchfood #healthyfood #collaborate #nourish #thrive

Thank you to the team at RISE Charter School for meeting with us recently as we work together on a pilot program to bring healthy, scratch-made food to their students. Like us, they know that school food matters because it shapes more than a single meal. For many kids, school lunch fuels their energy, focus, and ability to learn for the rest of the day. When food is nourishing and thoughtfully prepared, it supports health, human worth, and long-term well-being in school and beyond. This is why improving school food isn’t extra. It’s foundational. Learn more about us at our website link in our bio and help us change how kids eat. #FoodParadigm #schoolfood #realfood #collaborate #nourish #thrive

Big news!! We are a beneficiary for the Cooking for the Kids competition put on by @overflowinghandskids . Reserve your 6 course dinner and come support kids with OverflowingHands! #foodparadigm #raleigh #chefcompetition #kitchenupfit

Thursall Celle and Karla Wilson founded Food Paradigm to help children avoid some of the struggles with nutrition they’d run into early in life. Now, they’re working alongside schools to shift from processed meals to real, scratch-cooked food. Schools care deeply about feeding kids well, but sometimes the existing system makes it difficult to hit the mark. Our role is to partner, listen, and help build school food programs that are nourishing, practical, and built to last. Learn more about us at our website foodparadigm.org and follow us as we grow. #FoodParadigm #schoolfood #realfood #collaborate #nourish #thrive

Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for a world grounded in dignity, equity, and care for all people. We celebrate his legacy by continuing that work through school food systems where every child has access to real, nourishing meals that support their health, learning, and ability to thrive. We’re honored to carry this work forward alongside our school partners and community. #dignity #realfood #schoollunch

We’re so excited to welcome Mia to Food Paradigm as our new Program Coordinator. She brings such a strong foundation in nutrition, education, and community work — and a real heart for helping kids experience food in a healthier, more joyful way every day. You’ll be seeing a lot more of her as we plan our next year of work with Method and RISE. We’re so glad she’s here.

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