Meet Our Team

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For over two decades, Monica Dimas has established herself as a leader in the Seattle food world whose passion for collaboration and innovation drives the growth of her successful restaurant group, Milkwood & Company. The culinary force behind former beloved Seattle establishments including Westman's Bagel & Coffee, Neon Taco, Little Neon Taco, Tortas Condesa, and Sunset Fried Chicken, Monica's dedication to her businesses and the relationships that fuel them has resulted in a career focused on creating thriving, inclusive spaces that reimagine the roles that restaurants play as tools for transformative change.

Born in Mexico and raised in Yakima, Washington, Monica now divides her time between Bainbridge Island and Seattle, with deep ties to both cities. When she’s not busy running her businesses, you’ll find her spending time with her two children and exploring the communities that inspire her.

Co-Founder / COO
A woman smiling and holding three glasses of an amber-colored drink with ice and a cherry, while others hold similar glasses around her.

Anais Custer is an active member of the Seattle restaurant industry and the creative brain behind La Dive, her Capitol Hill wine bar that's been going strong for over five years, and Rich Rich, a cocktail bar she launched in Seattle's uptown neighborhood in February 2024. Before opening her brick-and-mortar locations, Anais curated Garbage People Love Wine, a pop-up series pairing wine with unexpected foods like Doritos, classic breakfast items, and fast food favorites. Her hobbies include chatting on the phone for extensive periods of time, running, making goofy puns, and snacking constantly throughout the day.

Co-Founder / CPO

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Co-Founder

Kim “Kimfer” Flanery-Rye (she/her) is a former VP and Executive Creative Director turned certified brain-based leadership coach, passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and women in business. She is the Founder of Inclusion Equals, a social enterprise focused on the IDEA equation: Inclusion = Diversity + Equity + Accessibility, helping organizations build culture from the inside out. She also serves as CEO of the F*Bomb Breakfast Club, a peer support community for women, femmes, and gentlethems who are company founders and business owners.

With more than 25 years of experience in business, Kimfer speaks locally, nationally, and globally—including at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and the 2022–2025 World Economic Forum. Her thought leadership focuses on the power of women in leadership, board representation, and the critical role of DEI in shaping the future of work and AI. Kimfer also holds an MBA in Executive Leadership and has taught Creativity and Innovation as an adjunct professor to MBA students.