Background and Personal History: Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt was raised on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, where she peeled mangoes with her teeth and learned to homestead on her mother’s organic farm in the Wailua Homesteads. She was educated at the Cambridge School of Weston, Sarah Lawrence College and Oxford University.

Since moving to Asheville in 2007, Aiyanna has worked as a contributing writer for the Mountain Xpress, Asheville’s alternative weekly newspaper, focusing on matters of sustainability, food security, waste and community activism. Her articles strive to empower the voices of leaders and artists working to create change, consciousness and mindfulness on a local level. Read her recent publications here.

In addition to writing, Aiyanna works as the Development Coordinator for Our VOICE, a nonprofit dedicated to serving all individuals in Buncombe County affected by sexual assault and abuse, through counseling, advocacy and education. Aiyanna is also a student of permaculture and organic gardening with Wild Abundance, a primitive skills school in Barnardsville, North Carolina.

Other Fun Facts: Aiyanna is an organic top bar beekeeper, a mead maker, herbalist and organic gardener.