People

Mike advises the United Nations Agencies and national governments globally on food security and food systems. Mike is Founding Board President of Alimenta La Solidaridad, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit that feeds 20,000 children per day in Latin America and is a non-resident fellow of the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University. Mike has professional experience in the private sector, serving as a co-founder or advisor to multiple technology companies including in the agricultural sector, and as a strategy consultant to Fortune 50 companies. Mike has been involved in the Wisconsin food terminal market planning discussions since 2019 and is passionate about creating systems that help small and medium sized entities grow their businesses.

Marcia is Executive Director of Rooted, a Madison, WI-based, urban agriculture and food systems nonprofit organization. She serves on the Dane County Food Council and the City of Madison’s Farmland Preservation Task Force. She has 25 years of experience in community-based planning and food systems planning, research, and practice. From 1998-2006, Marcia was a member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s urban and regional planning faculty and an affiliate faculty member of the university’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Marcia is a past chair of the American Planning Association’s Food Systems Division, and a current member of the Dane County Food Council and the City of Madison’s Farmland Preservation Task Force.

Rebecca was raised on an organic farm and has been actively growing food and supporting food system work throughout her life. She serves on the Madison Food Policy Council as Vice chair. Rebecca was elected to the Madison Common Council in 2015 and served as Alder for District 18 until 2021, working on the Common Council Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Economic Development Committee, Equal Opportunities Commission, Transportation Policy and Planning Board, and the Madison Food Policy Council, among others. Rebecca has been a worker-owner at Union Cab Cooperative since 2000 and is the past President of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and CICOPA North America.

Lindsey is the statewide Community Food Systems Program Manager for the University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of Extension. She serves on the City of Madison Food Policy Council, the Healthy Retail Access Program, and the Public Market Development Committee. She has over a decade of experience conducting applied and participatory research, program development, and evaluation on a range of food systems policy and planning issues including community and regional food distribution, market and food access, and the development of values-based food supply chains.

Phil is Executive Director at REAP Food Group, a Madison based food systems non-profit. Philip is an advocate for an equitable and just food system where food is a right for all. Before joining REAP in 2022, he spent almost nine years at Seed Savers Exchange, where he fused his scientific training with the organization’s mission to preserve and share seeds, their integrity, and culturally significant stories. Philip brings open ears and a collaborative spirit, embracing a leadership style that emphasizes curiosity and building trust to maximize the values and strengths people bring to the table.

John Kane

John founded logistics non-profit Warehouses4Good focused on developing food warehouses with dry and cold storage in under-served rural counties, tribal lands, and US territories. He identified barriers faced by local and regional organizations, created national resources to plan, fund, and build supply chain infrastructure. Resources include specialists in supply chain planning and optimization, geographic information systems (GIS), feasibility studies, community organizing, architecture and engineering, food systems, and cold chain construction.

Yimmuaj is the Community Director with Groundswell Conservancy. In the past decade, she has been professionally advocating for equitable access to agricultural land, social services, and economic opportunities for communities of color. She has led several high tunnel construction projects, assisted several Hmong families fulfill their dreams of becoming homeowners through Habitat for Humanity, and facilitated job placement for adults with limited English and no work experiences. 

Michelle is a senior food systems researcher at UW-Madison. She is secretary for Dane County Farmers Union and on the Wisconsin Farmers Union Foundation board, a lifelong cooperative advocate and student of sustainable agriculture. She serves on the National Academies of Science Transportation Research Board Committee on Food and Agricultural Transportation, and the USDA working group on Agriculture of the Middle.