k ▁da iry ▁farm ▁outside ▁Mun ich , ▁Germany , ▁while ▁her ▁parents ▁were ▁teaching ▁and ▁research ing ▁abroad . ▁When ▁she ▁was ▁ 3 ▁years ▁old , ▁her ▁family ▁moved ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁eventually ▁sett ling ▁in ▁Pal o ▁Al to , ▁California . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Wes ley an ▁University ▁with ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁political ▁science , ▁she ▁received ▁a ▁Thomas ▁J . ▁Watson ▁Fellow ship , ▁leading ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁an ▁it iner ant ▁che es em aker ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁North ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Europe ▁( 1 9 9 9 – 2 0 0 5 ) ▁From ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Fern ald ▁developed ▁and ▁implemented ▁business ▁and ▁market ing ▁plans ▁for ▁small - scale ▁che ese ▁mak ers ▁in ▁Sic ily ▁for ▁a ▁European ▁Union - fund ed ▁rural ▁development ▁initi ative , ▁Co R Fi La C . ▁She ▁then ▁moved ▁on ▁to ▁direct ▁the ▁International ▁Pres idia ▁program ▁at ▁S low ▁Food ▁in ▁Bra , ▁Italy , ▁where ▁she ▁de vised ▁and ▁inst ig ated ▁an ▁international ▁micro - in vest ment ▁program ▁that ▁managed ▁business ▁planning ▁and ▁market ing ▁for ▁small - scale ▁art isan ▁food ▁produ cers ▁in ▁countries ▁such ▁as ▁Mad agas car , ▁Sweden , ▁E cuador ▁and ▁Bos nia ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁( 2 0 0 6 – present ) ▁So on ▁after ▁returning