Vicheka Ek grew up around the appreciation of food; defined by their unique origins, flavor profiles, and story of their distinctive taste. She enjoys diving deep into every dish to discover its inspirations, which are amplified by the ingredients sourced from grocery stores to Kern County’s local farms. With this in mind, she is excited to embark upon a project that will encourage healthier food habits and contribute to life longevity within the Bakersfield community as the Blue Zones Project® – Organization Lead of Retail Foods and Grocery.
While working to receive her B.S. in Business Administration Marketing from California State University, Bakersfield, Vicheka was instrumental in the development of custom Electronic Health Records Software for healthcare providers in a wide variety of fields, allowing them to focus more on patient care and less on red tape. Since graduating from CSU Bakersfield, Vicheka has overseen the creation and development of a technical support center to assist the Central Valley’s essential workers in our hospitals and schools, during the pandemic. Then, moving onto corporate operations, helping to streamline workflows, strategically scale for growth and drive revenue. Throughout this journey, she credits the tight knit community of Bakersfield of mentors, teachers, family, colleagues, neighbors contributing to her reaching these milestones, as it truly takes a village. Vicheka’s core mission is to help others and give back to the city that has raised her, leading her to join the Blue Zones Project.
During her free time, Vicheka can be found indulging in her guilty pleasure of binge-watching Fast and the Furious movies, or on an equally adrenaline-inducing quest to discover good eats/events in Kern County and the Golden State. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Valley Achievement Center for Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities and is an active member of the Bakersfield Twilight Rotary Club. Additionally, she can be found volunteering her time to help nonprofit organizations such as Boys and Girls Club and CASA of Kern County.
My Power 9
My favorite Power 9® is Purpose or, as the Japanese call it, “ikigai,” which ‘is the intersection between what you love, what you’re good at, and what the world needs; it is the bliss of intention behind what you’re doing, and why you feel most alive.’
