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CEO and Founder, Nourish Our Kids, Inc. Survivor, mother, teacher, leader, lecturer, advocate, life saver, hero, optimist…there are a host of different words that could be used to describe Donna Terjesen; however, most people who know her agree on one thing—Ms. Terjesen is a true inspiration. Here is her story. In November 1992, Ms. Terjesen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She was treated with a number of synthetic drugs, which resulted in weight gain and continuous lethargy. Unfortunately, Ms. Terjesen was offered little support from her neurologist so she decided to take matters into her own hands—she attempted to regain control of her life and health single-handedly. She began by devoting countless hours over the next several years researching alternative medicine and holistic therapies. With time, she also changed her diet to whole and natural foods, opening the door to an increased energy level and a newfound spirit within her, eager to come out. By 1997, she (and those around her) noticed a dramatic improvement in her health. Her successful weight loss and strength revitalization had Ms. Terjesen feeling like her old self again, yet with a much brighter outlook on life. She knew then that anyone could accomplish anything as long as they set their mind to it! She was living proof! Amazed with Ms. Terjesen’s success, friends, family and co-workers suddenly began seeking dietary advice from her; yet, oddly enough, they rarely followed through with her words of wisdom and guidance, as they were not interested in a natural, wholesome viewpoint. Although she felt like the minority in embracing this healthy alternative, Ms. Terjesen kept her momentous drive and enrolled in a nutrition school where she became certified as a Nutritional Health Counselor. In addition to gaining a wealth of information on good health and nutrition, Ms. Terjesen also discovered something even more important about herself…she realized that all along she had been a preacher of good health, rather than an effective teacher. Through her schooling, she learned how to listen to people, gained confidence, and became passionate and fully committed to supporting other parents and children with their health and nutrition needs. As a wife and full-time working mother of three daughters, Ms. Terjesen understood how families often times may opt for the quickest and easiest meal solutions which typically are not the most healthy, e.g., fast food, late night dinners, and/or unsupervised consumption of snacks and junk food (due to parents’ long work hours). She herself, a professional with over 17 years of successful sales and management experience in the corporate world, knew first-hand how easily it is to fall victim to unhealthy eating habits not only for children, but for working adults who succumb to client dinners or business travel that requires eating out all the time. Given the limited information and services that support a healthy, balanced lifestyle and family, it was clear to Ms. Terjesen that something must be done. In June 2002, Ms. Terjesen launched Mustard Seed Nutrition, a company that provides one-on-one nutrition counseling, group lectures and cooking classes for adults. Shortly thereafter, she realized that the scope of her audience was limited—rather than relying on adults to pass down healthy and sensible eating habits to their children, why not reach out to children and parents together. Aware of the fact that most families consist of full-time working parents, she wanted to develop a program that enabled her to reach out directly to children of all ages. The idea here was two-fold—foster and instill in children a healthy, balanced lifestyle with wholesome foods and regular exercise, which in turn, will hopefully be passed along to those parents who may not have the time or access to these resources. This idea materialized into a reality a year and a half later. In November 2003, Ms. Terjesen founded Nourish Our Kids, Inc., a company dedicated to educating parents and their children on ways to maintain a more natural, healthy diet and lifestyle. Nourish Our Kids, Inc. has already made a vast impact in the lives of many children and parents. Seeing the transformation in these families’ lives has brought such an insurmountable amount of satisfaction and personal reward to Ms. Terjesen that she is even more motivated and determined to help make a difference in more people’s lives. In line with Nourish our Kids, Inc.’s nutritional philosophies, Ms. Terjesen has become personally involved this year in her new community, Manhasset, New York. Ms. Terjesen is a member of the Planet Manhasset green committee and co-chair of the newly formed nutrition and wellness committee. Her education and experiences as a mother and holistic health counselor complement her involvement with these committees. Both committees are dedicated to discovering and sharing new ways of successfully adapting a greener and healthier philosophy in our schools and communities. Ms. Terjesen has lofty goals for the nutrition committee. This year she and her committee members' goals include the following deliverables:
Children’s Aid Society Simultaneously running two companies while maintaining a family and a full-time job, one would think their plate is more than full. Ms. Terjesen, of course, is the exception. Her passion has carried over into actively participating in other associations and groups. In 2003, Ms. Terjesen joined the Children’s Aid Society and volunteered her time to assist in developing and launching Go! Kids, a pilot obesity prevention program. The Go! Kids program is a school-based model, which in 2003 served 70 children and their parents in New York City’s low-income elementary schools. Ms. Terjesen participated hands-on in the children’s lessons, provided content and consulting for the parent workshops, and offered cooking demonstrations to parents. At the end of 2004, Ms. Terjesen was appointed Curriculum Director for the Children’s Aid Society's Go! Kids program. As Curriculum Director, Ms. Terjesen was responsible for completely revising the children’s and parent curricula; hiring and training health educators; forecasting budgets; grant writing; and responding to media requests. Ms. Terjesen’s commitment to Go! Kids is just as strong as if it were one of her own, and it is clearly evident that her time, energy and contributions have played a significant role in the program’s growth, which today, supports approximately 225 children and parents at three head start schools in lower Manhattan and the Bronx. Speaking Engagements and Television Appearances Ms. Terjesen’s involvement with various child advocacy associations and groups, coupled with her certifications, experience and background in nutrition and holistic health, has made her a well-respected and sought after counselor and educator in the community. As such, she has been called upon to speak at different forums and symposiums, to serve on expert panels, and to participate in televised programming segments. A sample representation of speaking engagements and television appearances over the past couple of years is listed below.
If you are interested in booking Donna to speak at your school or special event, please contact Angela Pariselli-Velez at angela@nourishourkids.com or by phone at 917.731.2380.
President, Nourish Our Kids, Inc. Angela Pariselli-Velez brings a wealth of experience to Nourish Our Kids, Inc. Prior to accepting the role of President of Nourish Our Kids, Inc. Ms. Pariselli-Velez served as Vice-President of Marketing & Client Services for a private company specializing in class action administration. Ms. Pariselli-Velez spearheaded the task committee for conceptualizing, branding and marketing the company’s corporate image, which involved the development of the company logo, tag line, color selections, brochure, website and promotional products. Further, she planned and executed marketing and sales initiatives, resulting in increased sales revenues over the course of three short years. Ms. Pariselli-Velez also possesses over 18 years of management experience from managing the litigation department of a New York law firm and more recently as the Office Administrator responsible for managing the overall operations for a prominent mid-sized New York law firm. As Nourish Our Kids, Inc. continued to flourish and receive more widespread attention, Donna Terjesen, CEO, realized she needed someone who was business savvy, yet who also interacted well with adults and children alike, to assist her in attaining the company’s goal. Ms. Pariselli-Velez, who was already familiar with the company and Ms. Terjesen’s work, accepted this incredible offer without hesitation. In October 2004, Ms. Pariselli-Velez was named President of Nourish Our Kids. Due to her strong marketing, management, and legal background, Ms. Pariselli-Velez’s role as President is responsible for business development, marketing and customer intelligence, administration, finance, and legal issues. Since joining Nourish Our Kids, Inc., Ms. Pariselli-Velez has been actively involved in contributing to the growth of the company, working with potential investors and developing a marketing plan and business case. In addition, she also works side-by-side with Ms. Terjesen in assisting with various programs. For example, Nourish Our Kids, Inc. was invited back to Melrose II, I Have a Dream program where they provided a five-week health and wellness seminar to children ages 8 –12. The seminar included cooking classes, nutritional education, and drumming lessons for relieving stress. Nourish Our Kids, Inc. expects to maintain a continuing presence with this organization and as such, is currently ramping up its fall program. In addition to co-authoring Nourish Our Kids, Inc.’s series of children’s books and assisting Ms. Terjesen with developing Nourish Our Kids, Inc.’s own early-intervention curriculum, Ms. Pariselli-Velez has been instrumental in launching the Nourish Our Kids, Inc. monthly newsletter, developing marketing materials, redesigning the Nourish Our Kids, Inc. website, and submitting proposals to similar health and wellness seminars in other after school programs and centers. Nourish Our Kids, Inc.’s mission hits close to home with Ms. Pariselli-Velez. Since early childhood, she has faced challenges with “weight” issues. As a result, she is a strong proponent of Nourish Our Kids, Inc.’s children’s platform and hopes to help other children avoid many of the challenges she faced growing up, simply due to a lack of information and available resources. Today, more than ever, Ms. Pariselli-Velez clearly recognizes the importance and the need for nutrition education and early intervention. She is quite certain that if such programs existed when she was a child, she would not have the health problems and weight issues she is faced with today.
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