Alicia Castèlan Diaz was born and raised in Mexico, and moved to the US in 2004. In Mexico, she used her technical degree in accounting and administration to work as a secretary there. Food is a passion of hers, and one of the reasons she enjoys working in the food industry here is because her mother and grandmother ran a food stand in Mexico making everything from scratch. She says that she enjoys the colors and flavors of cooking, and in the US, she has pursued her interest in American cuisine. She has spent the last 8 years working in the food industry, working for a food packing company as well as a pizzeria and a restaurant focusing on organic cuisine. As a member of the culinary team at the Indigenous Food Lab, she works hard to keep things running smoothly in the kitchen, completing tasks like prep-cook and dishwashing when needed.

Alicia is a spiritual person, and in her spare time, she enjoys going to church and spending time in nature walking and swimming. She also enjoys dancing, singing, writing, cooking, and spending time with her two children.