SOIL STORY - Key Persons
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- Co - Founder, CEO and Chief Alchemist Numi Organic Tea
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- Environmental Artist / Founder IGiveTrees
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- Co - Founder Back to the Roots
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- Director of Environmental Affairs, Water Policy & Sustainability Councilmember Paul Koretz, Council District 5
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- Co - Founder and Executive Director of Land Core
- Policy & Partnerships Consultant, Landcore
Aria McLauchlan is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Land Core, a non-profit advancing soil health policies and programs, including key economic incentives and infrastructure to support American producers. In this role, she guided the successful passage of language in both the House and Senate in 2019, supporting soil health at the USDA, and built a broad coalition of farmers, businesses, NGOs and academics to help secure over $50M in federal investment in soil health in the 2018 Farm Bill. Aria serves as a policy consultant to Kiss the Ground and the Regenerate America campaign. Aria was an Exchange Fellow at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, selected as a leader equipped to tackle vexing challenges in food, agriculture and climate. In 2015-16, she also served as Communications Director for Kiss the Ground. Aria has over a decade of previous experience working in marketing communications and sustainability for Fortune 500 brands and global non-profits.
Kiss the Ground members are the grassroots stakeholders that stand with us in the regenerative movement.
Ayesha Ali, Federal Policy Coordinator at Kiss the Ground, is a researcher, political ecologist, and firm believer in the intrinsic value of nature. She holds an M.A. in Global Environmental History from Uppsala Universitet centered on agricultural production and global food supply chain policies, where she specialized in California's 20th-century water laws and policies and the contemporary groundwater crisis. Happiest when outside, Ayesha develops a deeper connection to the earth by backpacking, foraging, and gardening.
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- Administrative Coordinator
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- Climate Change Science Policy
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
- Co - Founder of CyclEffect Regenerative Ventures
Christopher Lindstrom is the co-founder of CyclEffect Regenerative Ventures, a multi-stakeholder venture cooperative that invests and funds systemic change, regenerative community, agricultural progress, and the evolution of consciousness. In addition to Kiss the Ground, Christopher serves on the board of directors for Solar CITIES and the Foundation of Agricultural Integrity, and formerly volunteered with the E. F. Schumacher Society, and served on the board of the David Rockefeller Fund, and Slow Money.
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- Activist Author Journalist, Food Tank
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- Director, Principal Farm Planner & Trainer, Regrarians Ltd
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- Oatman Farms Founder and Fintech Lawyer
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
- Producer and CEO of the Sunset Strip Presents
Elizabeth Riley is a film producer and CEO of The Sunset Strip Presents, a production company that has a long track record of creating bold, blue chip branded content and events. An advocate for the regenerative movement, the goal is to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration through our media, content and events. www.thesunsetstrippresents.com. She is a published author and contributing editor to several pop culture publications. www.sickbureau.com.
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- Industry Strategy, Trends, and Analysis
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- Member of the LEADERSHIP Team
- Policy Director
- Policy Manager at Kiss
Erica Campbell is the Policy Manager at Kiss the Ground, supporting the Regenerate America campaign. For over two decades she has worked to transform our food system to be more just, equitable, and ecologically regenerative. Erica most recently served as agriculture policy advisor and farmer liaison for Senator Bernie Sanders and has advanced local food systems through the Vermont Farm to Plate Network and the Center for an Agricultural Economy. She lives in Vermont, where she is a community volunteer, mother of three amazing adult children, and wife. Erica loves to cook, garden, and explore nature wherever she goes.
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- Founder of Be Agriculture
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- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Team
- Chief Executive Officer at Kiss
Evan Harrison is the Chief Executive Officer at Kiss the Ground. Evan, a digital music and media pioneer, helped transform iHeartRadio (formerly known as Clear Channel Radio) into a multi-platform content creation company as the President of Digital. After spending a decade at BMG Music, he joined a handful of his BMG colleagues at AOL, where together they created groundbreaking music programs such as AOL Music's "Sessions" and "First Listen," which debuted hundreds of new songs by the most prominent artists in the world, putting AOL on the map as a legitimate innovator in the music space. He also held leadership roles at Univision, Townsquare Media, and as a music festival producer. Evan has been recognized in Advertising Age's "Entertainment A-List," Details "50 Most Powerful Men under 38," and New York Observer's "Power Punk" list and profiled in Billboard, Businessweek, Crain's, The Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, Reuters, USA Today, Variety and The Wall Street Journal.
Evan's love for the ocean is what first sparked his crusade and interest in environmentalism, which developed further when he joined the board of Surfrider, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the world's oceans, waves, and beaches.
Finian Makepeace - Chief Strategy Officer, Founder
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- Chief Strategy Officer
- Co - Founder
- Member of the EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Team
- Co - Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Kiss
- Ground Co - Founder
Finian Makepeace is the Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Kiss the Ground. He is a renowned presenter, media creator, and thought leader in the field of regenerative agriculture and soil health. His dedication to Kiss the Ground's mission of "awakening people to the possibilities of regeneration", has motivated him to develop training programs, workshops, and talks designed to empower people around the world to become confident advocates for this growing movement.
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- Founder & CEO of Greenopia
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- International Soil Consultant
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- Author, Designer, Consultant
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- Marketing, Communications at TMRW / TODAY
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- Founder, Co - CEO at Thrive Market
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- Co - Founder and Director of Strategy for Land Core
- Policy & Communications Consultant, Landcore
Harley Cross is the Co-Founder and Director of Strategy for Land Core, a non-profit that advances soil health programs and policies that create value for farmers, businesses, and communities. He is an entrepreneur, business/creative strategist, producer, and co-founder of a series of thriving businesses and non-profit organizations, including Hint Mint Inc., a designer candy company that sold successfully in 2016, and an innovative quality control company in China. Additionally, Harley co-founded LA-based creative/communications agency, "Interconnected" which made the viral short film(s), "Caine's Arcade", in 2010 and launched the Imagination Foundation 501(c)3 the following year. In his career, he has worked with clients such as the United Nations Foundation and Move.Org, as well as brands like BMW and Ritz-Carlton.
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- Innovation Specialist and Regenerator
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- CEO and Co - Founder of Commune
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- Conscious Consultant & Coach
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- President, Rugged Elegance Foundation / Founder, Biospace.Com
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- Lead Soil Science Advisor
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
- Registered Dietitian and Former Partnership Development Manager at Kiss
Jessica Handy is a registered dietitian and former Partnership Development Manager at Kiss the Ground. For over 10 years, Jessica worked for mission-driven organizations to develop and implement systems to support healthy food access for communities in need. Jessica's hands-on experience comes from Public Health Foundation Enterprises (PHFE), the Institute for Local Government (ILG), and as Program lead with the City of Pasadena.
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- CEO and Co - Founder of Once Upon a Farm
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- Social Entrepreneur, Farmer and Technologist
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- Senior Development Associate
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
- President of the Association of American Indian Farmers
Kara Brewer Boyd is President of the Association of American Indian Farmers which provides advocacy and technical assistance to American Indian farmers and ranchers, an advisor for the Native Organizers Alliance, and co-founder of Indigenous Cultural Ways. She was appointed to a Legislative Committee to address Indian Children Welfare laws and concerns of American Indian families. Formerly, Kara served as Executive Director of the Metrolina Native American Association, Member of the North Carolina Indian Child Welfare Standing Committee, and Board Member of the United Tribes of North Carolina. Kara also serves as the NBFA Event and Program Coordinator, a group who's proven success in entering Memorandums of Understanding with the US Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Kara and her husband John Boyd, Jr., President of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), has spent over 30 years advocating for civil rights and social justice while trying to retain and increase land ownership for minority farmers. In 2019, the Boyds purchased an additional 1,000-acre farm with 5 documented Indian Village sites on the Roanoke River in Virginia (ancestral homeland of the Saponi Tribe). Kara then created Saponi Ventures, LLC and secured a VA Hemp Growers License. Her 1st hemp crop was grown using regenerative agriculture practices.
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- Chief Administrative Officer
- Member of the EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Team
Karen Rodriguez is a Guatemalan woman raised in Venice Beach. She is a food lover who got her food education in kitchens of great restaurants in Southern California and a few in NYC. In these roles, she opened teams, served, managed and occasionally cooked. Her love of the culinary arts led her on the journey to learn an incredible amount from chefs, farmers and all of the people connected to our food.
She loves to connect with nature through healing, herbs, and gardens and is always excited to share a meal and feed loved ones. Following the thread of where our food comes from has made her passionate about teaching both children and the adults who teach children about tending to our soil and our earth because that is where all food begins. She is excited about regeneration and supporting healthy humanity, through food education, regenerating soils, restoring systems and kissing the ground.
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- VP of Content & Education Programs
Katy Saeger is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, communications professional, and CEO of Harmonica, an integrated agency where PR, social, influencers, and media combine. From Madison Avenue to Silicon Valley to Mt. Everest, Katy has followed her heart, building and scaling Fortune 10 companies and garage start-ups alike. From PepsiCo to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Wanderlust Festival to MakerFaire, Capitol Records to Caulipower, Jamba Juice to Liverpool Jeans - Harmonica clients are icons of wellness, lifestyle, technology, and culture.
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- Member of the LEADERSHIP Team
- As Farmland Program Director
- Farmland Program Director
created and developed Kiss the Ground's now global and growing Farmland Program. Raised on an organic avocado ranch on the Gaviota Coast of California, Kylie's hands-on connection to farming began at an early age. After graduating from UCLA with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Food Systems, Kylie returned to her hometown in Santa Barbara and is a yogi, farmer, and activist in her local community. She believes in the power of change at the grassroots level, making conscious food choices that positively impact our health, our environment, and our communities.
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Illinois
Larry O'Connor is the founder and chief executive officer of Illinois-based OWC, a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company. In 2011, Larry was a 40 under 40 business leader by Dealerscope. Last year, Larry was awarded Best CEO by Comparably and was the recipient of the prestigious Ellis Island Honor Society Medal of Honor Award. He is a technologist skilled in marketing, product development, software, architecture, and more. Under Larry's leadership, OWC has demonstrated dynamic growth in each of its 30+ years of operation. Starting as a one-person business in 1988, Larry has provided the leadership and vision to establish OWC (aka Macsales.com) as a leading provider of technology products and services. The OWC Corporate Headquarters, which opened in March 2008 is currently 60,000SF of operating space and 28 acres of adjacent land set aside to be protected as the culmination of the forward movement. Larry's "Green" building design principle of energy efficiency, protection of natural resources, and lowered pollution emissions have demonstrated a commitment to environmental responsibility that matches OWC's commitment to customer service and product quality. In 2008, Other World Computing was named one of the Top12 Green-IT companies by Computerworld Magazine for the innovative, environmentally responsible design of the OWC's corporate headquarters building.
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- Chairman, Captain Planet Foundation
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- Regenerative Entrepreneur
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- Marketing & Communications Manager
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- Entertainment Producer and Activist
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- Advocacy, Communications and Strategy for Climate Solutions Co - Creator of Soil Policy Action U.S
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- Cinematographer, Director, Producer
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- Founder and President, in a Perfect World
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- Founder of Cafe Gratitude
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- Advisor
- Urban Farmer and Entrepreneur
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- Director of Communication, RedCar LTD
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- Board Director
- Secretary of the Board
- Executive Chef and Owner of Sage Plant Based
Mollie Engelhart is an executive chef and owner of Sage Plant Based Bistro, a growing group of plant-based organic comfort food restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area. She operates a 17-acre organic farm, Sow a Heart, focused on regenerative agriculture that doubles as an animal rescue including an aviary for rescued parrots. Mollie is also an executive producer of the award-winning documentary film, May I Be Frank.
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
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- Member of the LEADERSHIP Team
- Communications and Marketing Director at Kiss
Nathan Rice is the Communications and Marketing Director at Kiss the Ground. A seasoned communicator, connector, and digitally savvy marketer, his passion is to develop dynamic storytelling that inspires authentic new connections and moves people to action. Prior to joining Kiss the Ground, Nathan spent 14 years at a mission-based agency where he led marketing and communications programs for pioneers dedicated to improving the food system, including Traditional Medicinals, Organic Valley, Annie's Homegrown, Gaia Herbs, Lundberg Family Farms, and Earthbound Farm. As a long-time, passionate environmental advocate and firm believer in the power of regenerative agriculture, Nathan is thrilled about the opportunity to lend his talents to fulfilling the Kiss the Ground mission.
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- Founder / Director of Creciente Con Amor, Mexico
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- Co - Founder & CEO of Gthx.Co
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
Pedro Diniz is an agroforester, businessman, and former Formula 1 racing driver. He founded Fazenda Da Toca, a large-scale organic farm in Brazil's São Paulo state (one of the country's leading producers of organic eggs, dairy, and fruit), and The Instituto Toca, a non-profit school and research initiative that aims to "educate to transform." Pedro also serves as a Board Member and shareholder for Peninsula Participações and as a Board Member for Grupo Pão de Açúcar. He is the founder of PPD Holding, an investment company focused on conscious investments.
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- Director of Sustainable Food and Farming Program
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- Founder, Artemis Rising Foundation
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- President - CEO / Regenerative Agriculture Alliance
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- Business Strategist Condon Consulting
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- Chief Operating Officer
- Member of the EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Team
- As Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer, Richard Wegman brings over 40 years of leadership and consulting expertise to Kiss the Ground from a diverse background of environmental and social justice non-profit organizations nationally and in the Los Angeles area. He is Treasurer of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, an organization fiscally sponsoring over $60,000,000, and 300 projects. He is also Vice-Chair and Treasurer of Amazon Watch, an organization that works to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin.
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- Stewardship Program Advisor & Teacher
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
- Founder and CEO of Price
RJ Jain is the founder and CEO of Price.com. Prior to Price, RJ co-founded Appurify, which was acquired by Google in 2014 and now powers Google Test Lab's technology. RJ previously served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Foundation Capital and as a technical advisor for Metamorphic Ventures, a New York City-based venture capital firm. He's held engineering leadership roles at ride-sharing startup Sidecar, acquired by General Motors, and the gaming company Zynga (NAS: ZNGA). RJ is an executive producer of the Kiss the Ground film, released on Netflix, and held a cameo role on the Netflix released documentary series Chelsea Does.
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- Humanitarian, Peacemaker, Writer, H.O.M.E. Team
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- Founder of the Citypak Project and Veteran Music at ICM Partners
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- Member of the EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP Team
- Co - Founder & Chief Mission Officer
Ryland Engelhart co-founded Kiss the Ground in 2013 and plays a leadership role in the organization as the Chief Mission Officer; he is a producer of the Kiss the Ground film released on Netflix and host of the Kiss the Ground Podcast. As a 15-year entrepreneur, he is also the co-owner and prior Mission Fulfilment Officer of the nationally recognized plant-based restaurants Cafe Gratitude and Gracias Madre, located in Southern California, and co-creator of the documentary film, May I Be Frank. He is a passionate speaker on the topics of sacred commerce and regenerative agriculture, tools for building community, food is medicine, and the practice of love and gratitude. Ryland is also a dedicated husband and father and lives on a 17-acre regenerative organic farm in Fillmore, CA, where he is learning to practice what he preaches.
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- Member of the Board
- President of the Board
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- Managing Partner of FoodFutureCo
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- Curator of the Local Rose, Alchemist for Shiva Rose Beauty and Mama
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- Board Director
- Member of the Board
- Certified Life Coach
- Director of Regenerative Agriculture for the Santa Ynez Ranch
Stephen has served as a Superior Court Judge for State of California in Los Angeles since 2006. The L.A. County court system is the largest county court system in the world. Prior to that, he practiced law for over 16 years, representing public and private sector clients in land use and civil rights matters, and was recognized as a "Super Lawyer."
Stephen also serves as the Director of Regenerative Agriculture for the Santa Ynez Ranch, where he leads a team working towards the Regenerative Organic Certification. He passionately believes that regenerative agriculture is superior to sustainable agriculture because it is not just maintaining the status quo but actually improving the soil, plants, and environment.
He is the Chairman of the Board for Chapter 3, having served in that capacity since its inception. Chapter 3 is a non-profit, dedicated to virtuously disrupting the business of agriculture through regeneration and to educating the public about the importance of soil health.
He is also an Adjunct Professor of Public Policy and the Law at the University of Southern California.
Stephen is a certified life coach, studied Positive Psychology through the University of Pennsylvania, and strongly advocates for lawyer health and well-being. He is publishing his first book in August 2022 entitled, The Whole Truth for Lawyers: A Complete Guide to Flourishing in Your Life and Career.
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- Co - Founder, Kudos Trading Co.
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- Inventor, Leader, Coach, Speaker
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- Advisor
- Farmer and Author
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- Physician and Entrepreneur