“Purpose does what nothing else can. It drives resources, creates alignment, and generates exponential impact through collaboration. Sacramento’s business community stands at the threshold of something extraordinary because when purpose aligns, transformation follows. When ACS declares its purpose to end cancer as we know it, for everyone, it’s not an aspiration – it’s a call to action that resonates with our business community’s own missions of innovation, sustainability, and community health. Through Cultivate, we’re not just bridging the gap between agricultural abundance and cancer patients’ needs; we’re creating a model that demonstrates how aligned purpose can transform cancer care across America.”

“As a registered dietitian and adjunct food and nutrition professor at Sac State, I’m thrilled to serve as the Nutrition Chair for Cultivate. This role uniquely allows me to blend my professional expertise with my personal journey as both a cancer caregiver and survivor. This campaign represents a powerful opportunity to make meaningful differences in the lives of cancer patients and caregivers throughout our region.

This event is truly one of a kind—it unites chefs, health systems, and local organizations to ignite meaningful conversations and forge powerful partnerships. It’s more than just a dinner; it’s a chance for Sacramento’s business community and leaders to come together and make a lasting difference for those in our community impacted by cancer.”

Chef Santana Diaz leads UC Davis Health’s production kitchen, one of the largest in the region, where more than 6,500 meals are prepared daily across three locations on the Sacramento campus. Under his leadership, the Food and Nutrition Services team has become a national model for health care food operations. It is recognized for its commitment to sustainable, healing-focused culinary practices that support long-term wellness.

A native of Yuba City, a small agricultural town about 45 minutes north of Sacramento, Diaz brings deep regional roots and a passion for locally sourced food. Before joining UC Davis Health, he made history as the executive chef of the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, where he developed the first food program in the sports industry to source 90 percent of its ingredients from within a 150-mile radius.

Diaz previously refined his culinary expertise as executive sous chef at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco and in several acclaimed restaurants, including Taste in Plymouth and The Firehouse in Old Sacramento.

“When we reduce the unnecessary additives and preservatives of the food we consume, educate our patients, visitors and staff, we ultimately make a healthier community.”