Last week, Rockwood was very lucky to have alum, activist, and author Saru Jayaraman in the office for this month’s Couch Conversations!
Saru is co-founder and president of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United), a national network with a mission to improve wages and working conditions for the 14 million people who work in America’s restaurant industry. She is also director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, and author of the critically-acclaimed books Behind The Kitchen Door and Forked: A New Standard for American Dining. As part of the #TimesUp movement, Saru joined actress Amy Poehler on the red carpet at this year’s Golden Globes to highlight sexual harassment in the restaurant industry (and yes, we asked her about it!).
In conversation with Rockwood’s president Akaya Windwood, Saru shared a lot with us, including:
- Balancing love for enemies with standing strong and fighting back;
- How the restaurant industry intersects with and affects other industries and movements;
- The positive political shifts the Trump presidency is making happen;
- Finding joy in the work, and why that’s crucial;
- What’s happening now with #TimesUp;
- And, of course, what it was like to attend the Golden Globes.
Check out the video above, and grab your spot for next month’s Couch Conversations, happening May 24!
