Meet Shandra

Shandra grew up in Banyuwangi in East Java, surrounded by the rhythm of food. Her family owned a peanut factory, a bakery, a restaurant, and a food production company, so the kitchen was never just a room — it was a livelihood, a gathering place, and a classroom.

When she was five years old, her grandmother placed a child-sized stove with a real flame in front of her and taught her how to cook eggs. Soon, Shandra was preparing dishes and serving them to her grandmother’s employees, learning early that food is both nourishment and responsibility. That small stove sparked a lifelong devotion to cooking — and to using food as a force for connection and care.

After college, Shandra moved to Jakarta and built a career as a financial banking analyst and money market trader. But when violent demonstrations erupted in 1998, she felt called toward a different path. She became a fierce anti-violence and labor rights activist — work she continues to this day — guided by a belief in dignity, justice, and community.

Shandra, who has lived in New York City since 2001, has worked in restaurants, run her own catering company, and founded a nonprofit that provides support services and vocational training in culinary skills to survivors of human trafficking. She travels globally as an anti-trafficking leader and advocate, always returning to the kitchen as her grounding place.

Today, Shandra lives in Queens with her family, where she teaches Indonesian cooking rooted in thousands of years of tradition and shaped by her belief that “food is a celebration.” Around her table, meals are peaceful, generous, and full of intention — a reflection of the life she has built through courage, compassion, and unwavering strength.

Shandra and her cooking have been featured on CBS Saturday Morning’s “The Dish,” Spectrum TV - NY1, The Epoch Times, Spruce Eats, Food & Wine, WNYC, Gothamist, American Essence Magazine, They Had Fun, and more.