FONDY MARKET - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Board President, Ellenbecker Investment Group
I am passionate for Fondy's mission for food access, cultural connection, farming and community because I believe everyone deserves a healthy body, mind and spirit. Through Fondy, my relationships with farmers, producers, the land and the Milwaukee community have deepened. I am grateful and humbled to serve Fondy. I am a wealth advisor at Ellenbecker Investment Group, working with individuals, families and small businesses to navigate their financial journey, goals and dreams with confidence and conviction. I enjoy hiking, gardening and farmers markets.
Job Titles:
- Milwaukee Market Match Coordinator
Jazmin has a deep-rooted passion for making healthy and affordable foods accessible as she believes everyone has a right to purchase farm fresh foods. She has spent time working in Duluth, Minnesota, supporting BIPOC entrepreneurs, farmers, and artists through the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO). At AICHO, she helped partner with farmers to provide culturally specific foods to community members through emergency food distributions, CSA shares, and farmer market events. Jazmin is excited to work in her hometown of Milwaukee and excited to be a part of making a difference her family members and friends can enjoy. In the evenings, Jazmin teaches piano to adults and children through Jazmin Wong's Piano Studio.
Job Titles:
- Community Member
- Secretary of the Board
I am known for creating memorable consumer experiences that drive change in my media and advertising work at The Oprah Winfrey Show, E! Television, Nickelodeon, and Northwestern Mutual. Recently, I became a stay-at-home mom of twins and learned that hard work comes in all shapes and sizes. As a UW Madison graduate, Milwaukee native and proud daughter of a farmer, I was drawn to Fondy's mission of making fresh food accessible to everyone. I diligently lead various initiatives to help the Fondy community. You can find me spending time with my family, traveling, organizing (for her family and others!), walking my dog or playing my favorite board game (Catan!).
Job Titles:
- Lead Farmers Market Assistant
Ken keeps things "moving" at the Fondy Farmers Market and the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market, for real! If you are ever looking for him, he is the one on roller skates swirling around, cleaning, organizing, and interacting with the customers and vendors.
Job Titles:
- Retired Community Food System Organizer and Artisan Food Entrepreneur
Fondy, with its commitment to fresh food, access, farmers, producers, eaters, community, and the dignity that should revolve around all that, has long captured my devotion in Milwaukee. I am honored to join the Fondy team.
Job Titles:
- Farm Director & Chief Operating Officer
Nyob zoo! Food is a universal experience; an act that unites everyone. This realization profoundly influenced Stephen's decision to farm. He spent five years learning about soil in glaciated Wisconsin loam, Maine silt loam, and Georgia clay. Participating in these ecosystems instilled a strong sense of community, respect for the land and its inhabitants, and the knowledge needed to steward a farm. Stephen continued his farm odyssey by joining Fondy in 2010. Since then, he has spent much of his time humbled by the depth and breadth of knowledge that Fondy Farmers, the land, and the Fondy community at large have shared with him; it is staggering. Stephen loves puzzles, learning language, reading land, and ensuring that farming is a viable and accessible vocation and avocation. Walking with his multi-species family is the honor of a lifetime.
Venice comes from an extensive family legacy of working with food and soil. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Venice's mother made her living managing a large grocery store, part of the Giant Eagle family of stores. Her father was a chef, caterer, baker, and a regional manager for the same grocery store chain. Almost everyone in her extended family has always had gardens or farms. She often says, "I come from a family whose grounding ethics are food, family, and faith." She continues, "Growing up, we fed everyone." Venice is passionate about growing food and cultivating community. She is also the Executive Director of Alice's Garden Urban Farm. Venice has been living in Milwaukee for 33 years. She is excited about guiding the transitions at Fondy, and helping to strenthen the organization.