Dr Kelly Donati is a Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow at RMIT University, where she explores how community and public food infrastructure can strengthen local economies and support the transition to regenerative food systems. Working at the intersection of research, advocacy and practice for nearly two decades, she believes that accessible, shared food spaces are vital for building healthy, connected communities.

As the co-founder and board director of Sustain: the Australian Food Network, Kelly’s research and policy work advocates for greater government investment in food as a public good.

Her passion for food systems spans scales—from the microbiomes of beer fermentation and compost bins to the planetary forces that shape our food systems and sustain life. She is dedicated to reimagining food systems through thoughtful dialogue that centres pleasure, justice and care, and to co-creating a gastronomic civics that nourishes both people and the planet.