Kareema Batal

Kareema Batal, ‘14 BSc Nutr/Fd Sci, ‘21 MSc

Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences Representative

Kareema holds a B.Sc. in Nutrition and Food Science (U of A, 2014) and a M.Sc. in Human Ecology (U of A, 2021). She’s spent the last decade of her life working with independent local food companies. As the Assistant Market Manager at The Organic Box in 2014, she was instrumental in the creation of the Fruit Truck, a community-driven initiative to connect more people in public spaces to nutritious, organic fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Kareema has always aspired to be a leader in this space and so she started her own food ventures, first through Urban Organics Market with the goal of bridging the gap in healthy, organic food access for consumers in rural Strathcona County and later building Neo Juicery, Edmonton’s first circular plant-based beverage company. Since 2017, she has provided mentorship to other business owners through the Alberta Agriculture and Food Council and the Aboriginal Business & Community Development Centre, sat a three-year term as an adjudicator on the Marketing of Agriculture Products Appeal Tribunal, Facilitated leadership lectures as a two-time Teaching Fellow at the PLLC, and conducted an inter-agency research project on the enhancement of socially conscious business practices in Edmonton as a Social Innovation Fellow at the Social Innovation Institute. 

Kareema’s work has extended into the Social Services sector. She currently is the Regional Manager for a suite of programs in Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan that connect Albertans with employment services and skills development opportunities.