At the heart of our foundation lies a passionate commitment to fostering social inclusion through the transformative power of nutrition. Our mission is to extend a helping hand to vulnerable individuals and those affected by social exclusion, ensuring they not only have access to a balanced diet but also experience the warmth of community and care. With unwavering dedication, westand united against the scourge of food waste, channeling our efforts to create a world where no one goes hungry and every plate tells a story of compassion. Join us in sowing the seeds of change, one nourishing meal at a time.
The aim of the foundation is to promote social inclusion through nutrition, to provide access to a balanced diet for vulnerable people or victims of social exclusion, and to combat food waste.
Chef, born in Milan in 1981, of an Egyptian father and Italian mother, both restaurateurs. Creative and self-taught in the kitchen, in 2008 he travelled to Los Angeles where he fell in love with Latin American cuisine, and set up his own restaurant, ‘The Barbershop’. In 2016 he embarked on a one-year culinary world tour: Barcelona, Ibiza, Moscow, Tulum and finally Singapore, where he imported his concept of pop-up restaurant, based on what he had learnt in Los Angeles. After a final stop in Dubai, he decided the time had come to settle down; this is how he ended up in Geneva, in 2017.
After a few months heading up the ‘Fiskebar’ restaurant at the Hôtel de la Paix, he opened his own restaurant, ‘Le Cinquième Jour’ – a restaurant enriched with a strong concept of social inclusion: on Saturdays the kitchen brigade cooked for free, for disadvantaged people, refugees, the homeless or even teenagers with nowhere to go. Committed, as ever, to gastronomy as well as to social issues, Walter founded Fondazione MATER in 2020.
Jimmy Thiebaud
After obtaining his Federal certificate as a commercial employee at the Banque Cantonale de Genève and at the age of 21, Jimmy took his first steps into finance. After a brief stint at Pictet et Cie., some travelling in Asia, as well as a year in Australia, he returned to Switzerland and joined bridport & Co.
At 27, he became head of the trading team for this well-known Geneva-based company. However, he decided to continue his travel adventures and left for Latin America, for a year, during which time he met his wife with whom he has now been for over 10 years. Back in Switzerland he joined the trading team at SJS Market and then finally returned to bridport & Co. to take up the position of head of the Iberian and Latin American markets. Jimmy decided to leave the world of finance behind in 2019, in order to redirect his career. It was at this moment that he met Walter el Nagar who presented his project to him. Walter quickly understood that the skills that Jimmy had acquired over the past 20 years could be put to very good use in Fondazione MATER.
Rana Noman
It was when Rana discovered the preamble of the Swiss Constitution, and in particular its last sentence, “… the strength of society is measured by the well-being of the weakest of its members…” that she thought to herself that the well-being of the weakest of the members left much to be desired. Dealing with the nutritional needs of people is, for her, one of the steps that leads to greater well-being of every individual. Changing the way you eat is like changing the way you think, the way you live.
And then in all humility, she found herself repeating the very final sentence of the preamble: “To increase the strength of society we must increase the well-being of its weakest members.”
Jason Leger
Jason is a Lean Six Sigma enthusiast with more than 20 years of experience in consumer goods manufacturing, specializing in production, continuous improvement and EH&S (Environment, Health and Safety). In addition to owning his own Swiss-based continuous improvement consultancy, Jason is enrolled in Purdue University’s online engineering program, where he is gaining new perspectives and training in organizational efficiencies. Jason is originally from the Oregon Coast (USA), and has lived in Boston, Massachusetts USA and Fort Worth, Texas USA.
Today, Jason resides in Geneva with his wife Amy, along with their two rescued Beagles, Daisy and Lucy. In his free time, Jason enjoys exploring Switzerland, hiking and skiing, training to become a volunteer in a local hospice program, and finding new ways to positively impact his community.
Rachele Riani
Passionate about all art forms, Rachele studied Literature and then Visual Arts. Originally from a small village in Tuscany, she dreams of moving abroad and enriching herself by discovering other countries and cultures. After a first experience in Malaga, she left for Paris in 2016, to complete her studies. Here, she becomes a cultural mediator.
Once graduated, she participates in the construction and animation of programs that allow her to push back the limits of cultural institutions and fight for the values that animate her: the democratization of culture and the right to social inclusion. for all.
Arriving in Geneva, a city that attracts her thanks to its international and committed environment, she enthusiastically discovers the actions of the Mater Foundation. A fundamental principle: to act to guarantee that every human being can live in dignity.
Patrick Dupuis
Born in Geneva, where he did all his studies, married, father of two children and grandfather of two grandchildren, has finished a banking career in Swiss banks for over 35 years. He has always been a volunteer and has been active as a volunteer fireman for 25 years, today he is in charge of training for young firemen. He feels that he has received a lot in his life and now feels the need to give. He is passionate about cooking and everything that surrounds it, and has decided to dedicate himself to it by participating in the change of our consumption to ensure the future of our children and help the most needy.
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