Our Team
Experts and Mentors United by a Passion for Creation
Aria Sharma, Executive Director
Aria Sharma brings over fifteen years of executive leadership experience in the non-profit sector, specifically focusing on arts and skills-based education, coupled with a lifelong personal practice in classical music and watercolor. Her extensive background includes successful grant acquisition and management, large-scale program implementation, and building robust, multi-sector community partnerships. Prior to joining EUPHOTIC FOUNDATION, Aria served as the Director of Operations for a national youth mentorship organization, where she successfully scaled educational access to disadvantaged communities. She holds an MBA with a focus on non-profit management and a BA in Art History, providing her with both the administrative acumen and the deep appreciation for the arts that drives the Foundation forward. Aria is deeply committed to the belief that every person deserves access to tools for self-expression, and she works tirelessly to ensure the Foundation’s programs are both accessible and of the highest possible quality, fostering a warm, professional, and results-oriented culture for all staff and participants.
Chef Marcus Chen, Head of Culinary Arts
Chef Marcus Chen is a highly respected figure in the Bay Area culinary scene, bringing a decade of professional experience gained in Michelin-starred kitchens across San Francisco and New York. His technical expertise spans global cuisine, advanced patisserie, and sustainable cooking techniques, with a particular passion for the intersection of flavor science and aesthetic presentation. Chef Chen holds a Grande Diplôme from a leading culinary institute and has been recognized for his innovative approach to food education. Beyond his technical skills, Marcus is celebrated for his patient and encouraging teaching style, treating the kitchen as a place of mutual respect and rigorous learning. He views his role at the Foundation not just as teaching recipes, but as instilling professionalism, resourcefulness, and a profound respect for ingredients. His dedication to mentoring aspiring chefs is evident in his commitment to connecting students with real-world apprenticeship opportunities, ensuring their transition from classroom to career is seamless and successful.
Dr. Eleanor Vance, Lead Fine Arts Instructor and Educational Consultant
Dr. Eleanor Vance is an accomplished abstract painter and scholar who holds a PhD in Studio Arts and Visual Culture from a prestigious West Coast university, lending immense academic credibility to our programs. Her artistic practice focuses on the relationship between psychological perception and spatial composition, an expertise she seamlessly integrates into her teaching to help students connect intention with execution. Dr. Vance has exhibited her work internationally and is a published author on pedagogical approaches in creative education. She excels at teaching the theoretical underpinnings of art while fostering a fearless, experimental environment in the studio. Her approach is characterized by deep empathy and intellectual rigor; she challenges students to think critically about their work and its place in the broader cultural landscape, ensuring that technical skill is always paired with thoughtful conceptual development. Eleanor’s commitment is to unlock the unique visual voice within every student, guiding them toward creating work that is both technically sound and deeply personally resonant.
Sofia Rodriguez, Community Engagement Coordinator
Sofia Rodriguez is the vital link between the EUPHOTIC FOUNDATION and the broader San Francisco community, bringing four years of dedicated experience in community organizing and non-profit communications. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and has a proven track record of designing and implementing inclusive, high-impact public programs. Sofia’s role is crucial in ensuring that the Foundation’s offerings reach those who need them most, overseeing the scholarship application process and coordinating free outreach workshops in underserved areas. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, creating a welcoming and productive atmosphere for our team of dedicated volunteers and fostering strong, mutually beneficial relationships with our corporate and non-profit partners. Sofia is deeply motivated by the principle of equity, believing that creativity is a social right, and she tirelessly works to make the Foundation a true community resource where everyone feels a sense of belonging and opportunity.
Special Activities and Events
Showcases, Culinary Competitions, and Interdisciplinary Collaborations
To enrich the learning experience and provide vital real-world performance opportunities, the EUPHOTIC FOUNDATION hosts a dynamic calendar of special activities and public engagement events throughout the year, designed to celebrate and showcase student achievement. The pinnacle of the Fine Arts year is the Annual Student Exhibition, a professional gallery-style show where participants display and sell their work to the public, gaining valuable experience in presentation and sales. On the culinary side, we organize internal and external culinary competitions, such as the ‘Euphotism Plating Challenge,’ which specifically rewards the seamless fusion of flavor and visual design, fostering friendly competition and high standards of execution. Our calendar also includes regular Visiting Artist and Chef Workshops, bringing internationally renowned practitioners to our facility to share advanced techniques and industry insights, inspiring our students with world-class mentorship. Furthermore, we actively manage collaborative projects, such as creating edible installations for city cultural festivals or partnering with local non-profits to design and produce custom artwork, ensuring our students apply their skills to meaningful, large-scale community initiatives that extend the classroom into the public sphere.
Join Us/Work With Us
Join Our Team of Passionate Educators and Creative Professionals
EUPHOTIC FOUNDATION is continuously seeking highly skilled, dedicated, and passionate individuals to join our professional team of educators, administrators, and support staff who are committed to our mission of transforming lives through the arts and cuisine. A career with us offers a unique opportunity to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment where creative exploration is not just encouraged, but is the central focus of our daily operations. We offer competitive salaries, professional development opportunities focused on innovative pedagogical techniques, and the profound satisfaction of knowing your work directly contributes to the personal and professional success of our diverse student body. We look for candidates who possess not only exceptional technical expertise in their respective fields—whether as a certified chef, a degreed artist, or an experienced non-profit administrator—but also a deep-seated enthusiasm for mentorship, a collaborative spirit, and a genuine commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable learning atmosphere for everyone, ensuring our faculty represents the best of professional skill and human compassion.
