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Austin Food EcoSystem

Food System Leaders

There are probably thousands in the (tens of thousands?) of people working in some capacity in the overall food and beverage and agriculture industry in Central Texas.

Here is a starter, incomplete, to-be-updated, amended, and improved list of some of the folks who are actively working on overall food systems issues around here.

Please use the form at bottom to nominate someone else (yourself?) that you believe should be on this list.

(PS: As you maybe can tell, this is a work in progress as we link every one's entry up...)

Andrea Abel 
   Executive Director, Farmshare Austin @FarmshareATX . Beginning farmer training program, food access initiatives, and farmland preservation.

John Antonelli
   Co-Owner, Antonelli's Cheese Shop @AntonellisCHZ. Cheese shop and food, classes, private events, cheese club, and shipping.

Sue Beckwith  
   Executive Director, Texas Center for Local Food. The Texas Center for Local Food provides education and technical assistance to support rural economic vitality and community health based on Texas agriculture.

Amy Bell
   Senior Director, Tideline: Impact Investing Consulting @TDLNE. Tideline seeks to help clients excel in realizing financial and societal value.

Lynda Berrios
​   Owner and Principal, ATX Makers @ATXMakers. Community and networking platform for CPG and food businesses in Austin.

Barbara Boeta 
   Executive Director, Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) @egbiofaustin. Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that extends education, training, and connections directly into the underserved areas of our community in a way that is culturally relevant and delivers proven results.

James Brown
   Owner, Barton Springs Mill @bartonspringsm, Stone-milled heirloom and landrace grains, many of which were grown here in Texas in the early 1900s, now grow here once again, producing flours that are fresh, nutritious, and delicious.

Joy Casnovsky 
​   Deputy Director, Sustainable Food Center @sfclocal, SFC's mission is to cultivate a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. SFC envisions a food-secure community where all children and adults grow, share, and prepare healthy, local food.

Joi Chevalier
​   Owner, Cook's Nook @CooksNookAustin, The Cook’s Nook is a culinary incubator providing shared production space and business development for Austin-area artisans, caterers, and cooks at early-stages of their culinary business so that they can be successful.

Scott Collier
   Global Growth and Business Development, Whole Foods Market @WholeFoods, Venture Capital fund with Whole Foods to grow food businesses.

Eric de Valpine
   Partner, Austin Foodshed Investors @atxfoodinvestor. AFI invests in local sustainable food and agriculture companies. Initiatives 

Evan Driscoll
   Associate, Austin Foodshed Investors @atxfoodinvestor. AFI invests in local sustainable food and agriculture companies. Initiatives. 
   Board Member, Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA), Co-Founder of Central Texas Young Farmers Coalition, and Board Member with Common Market Houston.

Rebekka Dudensing  
   Associate Professor Rural Communities, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Rural Regions is a series of research notes describing the regional nature of some important rural topics, including health care and food access. 

Max Elliott
   Executive Director, Urban Roots @UrbanRootsATX. Urban Roots uses food and farming to transform the lives of young people and inspire, engage, and nourish the community.

Meg Erskine
​   CEO and Co-Founder, Multicultural Refugee Coalition @MRCAustin, Multicultural Refugee Coalition was founded to provide a bridge of support for refugees between the initial and brief resettlement process and the long-term success and integration into the Austin community.  

Kathy Green
   Policy Director, Central Texas Food Bank @CTXFoodBank, ​The Central Texas Food Bank is a nonprofit dedicated to nourishing hungry people and leading the community in the fight against hunger.

Mitch Hagney
   Owner, Local Sprout Food Hub, The LocalSprout Food Hub is a collaborative environment for small food businesses to make their products, equipped with a large solar array and edible landscaping.  They specialize in local sourcing and premium quality, and together contribute to create a unique food ecosystem. ​

Adrienne Haschke 
   Farm Direct Projects Manager, Sustainable Food Center @SFCLocal, 
SFC's mission is to cultivate a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. SFC envisions a food-secure community where all children and adults grow, share, and prepare healthy, local food.
​
Lorig Hawkins 
   Owner, Middle Ground Farm, diversified Organic fruit and vegetable farm in Utley, TX.

Carla Jenkins 
   Board Chair, Texas Farmers Market @TFMMueller @TFMLakeline, Texas Farmers’ Markets at Lakeline and Mueller are organized under F2M Texas, a 501(c)4 non-profit corporation centered around hosting and educating Central Texas producers and consumers to grow a sustainable food system.

Brenton Johnson 
   Owner, Johnson's Backyard Garden @JBGOrganic, Organic fruit and vegetable farm in Austin, TX.
​
Jason Jones 
   Owner,  Tin Star Foods @TinStarFoods, 100% grass-fed ghee company in Austin, TX.

Jiao Junfeng 
   Assistant Professor, UT School of Architecture, His research focuses on using information technologies (GIS, GPS, Drone, smart phone, social media, wearable devices, etc) to quantify built environments and understand its impact on people’s behaviour (e.g. travel, physical, eating etc) and its health consequence. 

Katherine Lieberknecht 
   Assistant Professor, UT School of Architecture. Dr. Lieberknecht currently teaches courses on urban agriculture systems, water resources planning, and urban ecology and has taught courses on land conservation, non-profit management and property rights. 

Carmen Llanes 
   Executive Director, Go Austin / Vamos Austin (GAVA); Go! Austin / Vamos! Austin (GAVA) is a coalition of residents, community leaders and nonprofits working to improve the​ health of communities in 78744 and 78745 by increasing access to and participation in physical activity and improved nutrition.

Annelies Lottman
   Program Coordinator, Texas Rural Cooperative Center. Annelies works to strengthen new and existing cooperatives across Texas.


Robert Maggiani 
   Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, National Center for Appropriate Technocology (NCAT) @NCAT_ORG, Helping people by championing small-scale, local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.
​
Karen Magid
   Director of Sustainability & STEM, Huston Tillotson University, HT nurtures a legacy of leadership and excellence in education, connecting knowledge, power, passion, and values.​

Edwin Marty 
   Food Policy Manager, City of Austin: Office of Sustainability. The Office of Sustainability provides leadership, influences positive action through engagement, and creates measurable benefits for Austin.

Jarred Maxwell
   Co-Founder & Partner, Austin Foodshed Investors @atxfoodinvestor. AFI invests in local sustainable food and agriculture companies. Initiatives 

Judith McGeary 
   Executive Director, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) @FARFA_org. Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) is a national organization that supports independent family farmers and protects a healthy and productive food supply for American consumers. FARFA promotes common sense policies for local, diversified agricultural systems.
​
Robyn Metcalfe 
   Director, Food+City @FoodCityOrg. Food+City is a catalyst for supply chain innovation to improve how we feed cities.

Laurence Anne Mittelbronn 
   Member Engagement, Innovation, & Membership, National Restaurant Association @WeRRestaurants. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) is the largest foodservice trade association in the world*—supporting over 500,000 restaurant businesses. In partnership with our state restaurant associations, we work every day to empower all restaurant owners and operators to achieve more than they thought possible.

Ken Mix 
   Assistant Professor, Texas State University Department of Agriculture, The department of Agriculture at Texas State University offers undergraduate and graduate curriculum that prepares students for today's agricultural careers.  

Cameron Molberg 
   Owner, New Growth Management. Specializing in organic, non-gmo, sustainable, and regenerative agriculture.

Mike Morris
   National Center for Appropriate Technocology (NCAT) @NCAT_ORG, Helping people by championing small-scale, local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.

​Curt Nelson
   Co-Founder & Partner, Austin Foodshed Investors @atxfoodinvestor. AFI invests in local sustainable food and agriculture companies. Initiatives 

Jenna Northcutt 
   Publisher, Edible Austin @EdibleAustin. We are an independently owned, community-based bi-monthly publication and a member of Edible Communities publications. Our mission is to celebrate the seasonal food culture of Central Texas.

Mariam Parker 
   Executive Director, Austin Food & Wine Alliance @ATXFoodWineAlly. The Austin Food & Wine Alliance is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to fostering awareness and innovation in the Central Texas culinary community through grants, educational programming and events. 

Raj Patel
   Research Professor, University of Texas at Austin at LBJ School of Public Policy. Raj Patel is a research professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and a senior research associate at the Unit for the Humanities at Rhodes University. He studies the world food system and alternatives to it.
 
Kate Payne
   Executive Director, Texas Farmers Market @TFMMueller @TFMLakeline. Texas Farmers’ Markets at Lakeline and Mueller are organized under F2M Texas, a 501(c)4 non-profit corporation centered around hosting and educating Central Texas producers and consumers to grow a sustainable food system.

Alex Racelis
Assistant Professor, University of Texas: Rio Grande Valley @UTRGV. Our research is driven by a better understanding of how agriculture, urban development, invasive species and resource management affects certain ecological processes in the light of pressing social and environmental issues, such as climate change, food and water security, sustainable development, and social justice. 

Ronda Rutledge 
   Executive Director, Sustainable Food Center @sfclocal, SFC's mission is to cultivate a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. SFC envisions a food-secure community where all children and adults grow, share, and prepare healthy, local food.

Errol Schweizer
   Owner, Errol Schweizer LLC @errolschweizer. Independent consultant for food companies.

Andrew Smiley
   Consultant, Sustainable Agriculture and Community Food Systems.

Elliott Smith 
   Senior Planner, Travis County Economic Development. 
 Working to encourage economic stimulation and prosperity by attracting new businesses and growth to the Travis County.

Margaret Smith  
   Executive Director, Common Market @CommonMarketTX. The Common Market Texas is a mission-driven distributor of sustainable, local farm foods. We connect institutions and communities with Texas-grown good food from sustainable producers. 

Darla Stewart 
   Associate Director of Purchasing and Projects, UT Housing & Food Service, Our Vision is to create transformative living and learning environments where students feel safe, involved and inspired to change the world.

Trish Wesevich
   Owner, Capital Kitchens @CapitalKitchens is a culinary co-working space. Initiatives

Clare Zutz
   Lecturer, UT:LBJ School of Public Affairs. Clare Zutz is a lecturer in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and also serves as the school’s inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Program Coordinator. In this role, she will spearhead Diversity and Inclusion efforts for the LBJ School. 

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