laroot-world Our Team – laroot-world website
Order by 6 PM EST on Friday to get your delivery on the following Monday morning

LEADERSHIP

Responsible for management and culinary operations. 

  • Natasha Poniatowski, Founder & CEO

    With an undergraduate degree in international relations from Boston University and a master’s degree in business management from the Harvard School of Continuing Education, Natasha worked in the private-equity sector in New York and London before founding her first business—a fashion showroom and consultancy called LuxCartel. There, Natasha provided logistical, press, and sales support to fashion and lifestyle brands such as Anndra Neen, Kalmanovich, Marlo Laz, and Ralph Masri, among others, helping them achieve their unique business objectives. Natasha has always been passionate about connecting people to world cultures through consumer products, and has traveled the world extensively in her work at LuxCartel. As a second-time business founder with Laroot World, she brings leadership expertise, a strong business network, and operational acumen to the project.

  • Megan Brown, Co-founder & Culinary Director

    An alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Megan has ten years of experience as a professional chef. They were previously the executive chef at the Graduate Hotel Roosevelt Island, leading the kitchens of its Anything at All restaurant and Panorama Room bar and lounge. In addition to their formal education, Megan has worked with the renowned chefs Marcus Samuelsson, John Fraser, and Michael Cimarusti, who helped steer Megan’s culinary direction toward sustainable foods as well as recipes inspired by modern African diasporas and the Mediterranean. Having grown up on the South Side of Chicago, which is considered a food desert, Megan has made full utilization and access to healthy food a focal point of their vision, and is particularly keen on spaces where food and philanthropy intersect.

FOUNDING WELLNESS BOARD

A team of medical advisors from both Eastern and Western traditions.

  • Alexandre Shehata MD, Egypt/U.S.

    As Laroot's Western-medicine advisor, Dr. Shehata guides us on ingredient selection and recipe development to ensure that our menus provide optimal nutritional balance. Dr. Shehata is a board-certified internal-medicine physician with experience in primary care, urgent care, and hospital medicine, and is highly regarded among his patients for his holistic approach to treatment. He currently practices in affiliation with Hackensack Meridian Health, where he also serves as a clinical assistant professor of internal medicine. A seasoned researcher, Dr. Shehata has published articles in a host of esteemed medical journals, including the BMJ, JAMA, and the Annals of Internal Medicine.

  • Molly Knauer, U.S.A

    Molly is a registered dietitian with her master's degree in clinical nutrition from NYU. She is the co-founder of The Motherhood Method app offering trimester specific workouts and recipes for prenatal and postpartum women. She also works as a nutrition consultant for several brands in the food, wellness and beauty space. @themotherhoodmethod @mollysbest themotherhoodmethod.com

  • Avilochan Singh, India

    Dr. Avilochan Singh, the Wellness Director at VANA wellness retreat in Dehradun, India, promotes wellness through contemporary Ayurveda and sustainable living. He empowers individuals with knowledge of their unique bio-constitution and self-care for a healthy lifestyle. As a 5th-generation physician from a prestigious Ayurvedic lineage, he boasts over 20 years of expertise in Kerala Ayurveda Panchakarma, making him a highly sought-after expert in therapeutic interventions.

  • Naria Diaz Chi, South Korea

    Naria is Laroot's Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) advisor, fine-tuning our dishes in accordance with TCM's emphasis on dietary planning based on flavors, temperatures, colors, and seasons. A diplomate in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine who is accredited by the National Commission on Certification for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), Naria has been practicing acupuncture and TCM in New York since 2008. She fervently supports the integration of Eastern healing systems with Western medicine and nutrition in order to prevent illness and maintain optimal health.