Saru Jayaraman — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Recipient of the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award (2015) and recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House (2014).
President and Co-Founder of One Fair Wage, a national organization fighting for a full, fair minimum wage for all workers.
Co-founded Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) in 2002, initially to aid displaced World Trade Center workers, evolving into a national organization for restaurant workers' rights.
Authored "Behind the Kitchen Door" (2013), a national bestseller, and "Forked: A New Standard for American Dining" (2016).
Serves as Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley.
Graduated from Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Biography

Saru Jayaraman is an American attorney, author, and activist dedicated to advocating for fair wages and improved working conditions for restaurant and service workers in the United States. She serves as the President and Co-Founder of One Fair Wage (OFW), a national organization campaigning for a full, fair minimum wage where tips supplement, rather than constitute, wages. Jayaraman also directs the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley.