FOUNDER and MANAGING PRINCIPAL

Adviser, advocate, connector, and coach to practicing social change leaders. Facilitated collaboration in a $35M, multi-state land protection and watershed restoration initiative; mentored food system executives; developed experiential university courses on social entrepreneurship, supervised peer-advised deployment of $3m for equitable local economy efforts. Amy has raised over $72m and focuses on regenerative farming and economic development.

LEADERSHIP COACH

Fundraising and DEI trainer, facilitator, organizational leader, and PCC-certified executive coach. Jose has led nonprofits in the roles of CEO, COO, Major Gifts Officer, and Board Chair. He coaches leaders, at all levels, for excellence, results, self-acceptance, and noble purpose. Jose holds an MFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and worked for five years as a professional actor. He helps leaders tap into their instincts, voice, gesture, and body as tools for their self-realization.

PROJECT ASSOCIATE

Emerging leader in climate policy with four years experience in urban farming. Awarded a national fellowship with Land Trust Alliance, Nina is on staff this year at Western Reserve Land Conservancy. At University of Maryland-College Park, Nina chaired the committee awarding $400,000 in competitive funding for campus sustainability. She also pushed successfully to move the university target date for achieving carbon neutrality from 2050 to 2025. Nina has hands-on experience as a food bank farm manager and a service dog trainer, and has intermediate proficiency in Arabic. She will begin law school in the fall.

LEADERSHIP COACH

Organizational strategy and culture specialist, and National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach. Peter led the Institute for Conservation Leadership’s year-long leadership development program and has coached hundreds of leaders including nonprofit executives, university administrators, and professionals in transition. His skill in process design and facilitation leads to transformative outcomes. Peter serves on the board of the REVE Kandale Foundation which supports education and reforestation projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

ADVISORY SERVICES PRINCIPAL

Nonprofit management and philanthropy professional. Marissa brings 15 years in comprehensive non-profit fundraising and operations, including strategy, finance, human resources, grantwriting, and board service for youth-serving and other organizations. She directed programs and grantmaking at Pershing Square Foundation, responsible for NYC charitable grants, international social enterprise investments, and grants administration oversight.

EVALUATION PROJECT MANAGER

Business manager and research associate. Juan brings practical experience in value-added product and retail business, evaluation support, and grants management, as well as entrepreneurship training and project management in rural and urban settings and in Indian Country. Working in both English and Spanish, Juan is a technical specialist in Federal grants and compliance.

EVALUATION PRINCIPAL

Program evaluator, economic development specialist, entrepreneur. In 1999, she founded DRA Resources, an 8A Certified bilingual evaluation, research, and entrepreneurship support practice. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Danita has raised over $60.5 million for a range of anti-poverty and farmer support programs and focuses on program evaluation, social return on investment, regional food systems, and national small business development.

ADVISORY SERVICES PRINCIPAL

Social entrepreneur, enterprise developer, food business advisor, and professional chef. Co-Founder of The Gleanery, Former Board President of Boston Area Gleaners, founding culinary director of Daily Table, and Common Future Fellow. At CommonWealth Kitchen, Ismail assisted early and growth stage BIPOC and women-owned enterprises and led farmer value-added and contract manufacturing. A native of East Cleveland, Ismail is building Loiter, an ecosystem of enterprises centered on economic, environmental and spatial justice.

ADVISORY SERVICES PRINCIPAL

Writer, researcher, fundraiser, and organizer of community gardeners and farmers based in Baltimore, Maryland. She has over 20 years of experience in advocacy & labor journalism and in grassroots organizing work. An advocate for justice throughout the food system and supply chain, she co-directs the Farm Alliance of Baltimore alongside her writing and consulting work. Strauss offers nonprofits and startups the tools, resources, scaffolding/facilitation, and experience-based wisdom to transition their strategic plans, leadership, board governance, fundraising profiles, and missions to center on movement-building with an anti-oppression lens.