Vivien received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University, a Master of Science  in nutrition from Framingham State University, and a Master of Public Health from Boston University. She received an honorary Public Health Doctorate from Merrimack College in 2021.

Vivien is a registered dietitian and public health professional with extensive work in Boston’s communities. She is a founder and chair of the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and a founder of the Boston Organization of Nutritionists and Dietitians of Color (BOND of Color), a professional organization devoted to increasing the number of African American and Afro Caribbean nutritionists and dietitians and providing nutrition education in the community.

Vivien coordinates the Kennedy Community Garden and Edgewater Neighborhood Association and serves on the steering committee of Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, a statewide effort working towards a sustainable and equitable food system.

She has been a community activist throughout her life and gets the greatest joy from seeing the coming together of community members of all ages to strengthen relationships and use collective power to improve our village.