Meet Joi Chevalier
A Life at the Intersection of Wonder and Work
Joi Chevalier has spent her life connecting the stars above with the systems that shape life on Earth, through food justice, cultural insight, and civic engagement. From designing medically tailored nutrition programs to building her own observatory in West Texas, she helps communities imagine what’s possible when we look up and lead with purpose.
Joi has had a lifelong passion for astronomy since the age of 8, growing up in Houston, where she immersed herself in the works of Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov. She taught herself to identify constellations by lying on the family car at night. Though accepted into the US Air Force Academy, she chose to attend the University of Texas at Austin instead.
At UT Austin, Joi initially pursued a degree in aerospace engineering but soon realized her true interests lay in interdisciplinary studies. She found herself captivated not only by astronomy and (thermo)dynamics but also by the connections across space sciences, literature, mythology, theology, and cultural anthropology. She earned a BA in Classics (Latin) and English, followed by an MA in English Literature, specializing in British Literature and Technology.
In 2018, she was the Democratic candidate for Texas Comptroller and currently serves as the Endorsements Chair for Annie’s List. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Cook’s Nook, and the Chair of the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board. Joi has played a vital role in designing and delivering medically-tailored nutrition solutions to underserved communities, addressing the needs of individuals with health conditions—including older adults, expectant mothers, and children.
She is also in the process of building her own observatory site near Big Bend National Park to house her 14” Dobsonian truss telescope. She also owns a 6″ refractor and an S50 Seestar. Joi’s the former Communications and Member Service Chair of the Austin Astronomical Society, and she’s currently the club’s Astronomical League Coordinator.
Her mission is to inspire Black and Brown communities to embrace the value of “always looking up”—you never know where it may lead. As Carl Sagan said:
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
Joi’s leadership extends to policy and politics. She has served on multiple committees within the Texas Democratic Party and Travis County Democratic Party, writing planks on voting rights, food systems, and election transparency. In 2018, Joi became the first African-American woman to run for statewide executive office in Texas as a candidate for State Comptroller. She continues to support organizations like Annie’s List, Emerge Texas, and Progress Texas to elevate progressive women in public leadership.
These efforts have been recognized Joi with honors including two Gina Burchenal Grants from the Austin Food and Wine Alliance, the City of Austin’s Community Business Leadership Award, the SCORE Austin Small Business Award; recognition as one of Tribeza’s People of the Year and a Disruptor by the Woman’s Way Business Awards; a two-time finalist nod for the Les Dames d’Escoffier Woman of Purpose Award; and a $100,000 Render Reconstruct Challenge grant to develop a maternal health-focused Food as Medicine program in Louisville, Kentucky. Presently, Joi is the Chair of the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board, and has played a vital role in the City Council approval for the region’s first Food Plan, now being executed.
