Jack (he/him) is an entrepreneur and ecosystem builder focused on tackling climate change. Through his work with leading climate organizations, Jack builds communities, designs programs, and develops partnerships aimed at leveraging the power of startups to overcome our planet's biggest challenges. He believes that strong, local communities are the foundation for high-impact work, and is thrilled to support Fresh Food Connect as we scale our community-centered model for reimagining a healthy, local, and climate-friendly food system for all.  

Ash (she/her) is a business leader, strategic thinker and relationship-builder based in Seattle and focusing on climate action through food. She is founder of Ojawse Co, a regenerative food company. Over the last 10+ years, she has delivered successful products and solutions in a range of roles across Consulting, Sales Analytics, Channel Planning, Go-To-Market, and Brand Management. She has worked to successfully build diversity and inclusion into the heart of business solutions, including leading workplace advocacy efforts as the president of the Nestle LGBTQ Pride Alliance and lead for Nestle's Gender Balance Network.  

Terrance (he/him) has spent the better part of the last decade working as a dedicated professional in small business finance. Outside of his 9 to 5, he's worked alongside his spouse to cultivate a thriving backyard garden that provides food for them and enables them to donate from their garden to their community. Passionate about community well-being and eager to make a broader impact, Terrance is thrilled to build on his work with Fresh Food Connect as a donating gardener by bringing his experience in finance and commitment to food access to the Board of Directors. 

James (he/him) is a 3rd generation Coloradan and former owner of Seattle Fish Company, a business born and raised in Colorado since 1918 and founded by James’ grandfather Mose, an Italian immigrant. James started his journey at Seattle Fish Company by loading and then driving trucks before working his way up through the sales office and finally to the position of Chairman & CEO, where he successfully scaled the company. 

James is a leader on sustainability. He directed Seattle Fish Company’s efforts around traceability and responsible sourcing. For his success as CEO of Seattle Fish Company, James was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 and Colorado State University’s Graduate of the Last Decade. Governor John Hickenlooper recognized James’ accomplishments and appointed him to the Governor’s Fellowship Program from 2017-2018 to enlist his help in solving the state’s most challenging issues and leading opportunities for growth and innovation. 

James brings to Fresh Food Connect his extensive nonprofit board experience, specifically within food access and education. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Green & Gold Foundation, benefiting Colorado State University, James’ Alma Mater. He currently serves as Past President for YPO Colorado, driving organizational vision and leading an exceptional group of business leaders throughout the state, and now chairs TIGER21, a confidential and private peer-to-peer learning group regarding investments. 

Bill (he/him) is a Software Engineering Leader building highly efficient and reliable cloud products. His experience scaling global technology companies showed the impact their systems have on the planet and our communities. This led him to the Green Software Foundation to help build a community of people and a collection of standards and tools that measure and reduce the carbon emissions from software. 

Outside of work, Bill has been a volunteer, meetup founder, and a running coach in and around the Seattle area while also exploring the bountiful running trails in the mountains whenever he can. 

Bill is a big advocate of the "Think globally, act locally" mindset and is excited to bring his global technology background to Fresh Food Connect's mission of strengthening local communities and the food system.

Jada (she/her) is an entrepreneur and advocate for equity in access to essential resources. As the founder of Groflo, an innovative adtech platform empowering emerging brands to grow in retail, and Hurry Home, a fintech company enabling homeownership for families through small-dollar mortgages, Jada has dedicated her career to creating solutions that foster economic opportunity and community well-being. Her work has garnered recognition from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Forbes 30 Under 30 in Social Impact, and other esteemed institutions.

A first-generation American with Jamaican roots, Jada draws inspiration from her lived experiences and passion for giving back. She has raised over $1.5 million in venture funding and has successfully built partnerships with cities, foundations, and investors to drive meaningful change. 

In her free time, Jada enjoys salsa and bachata dancing, exploring Spanish-speaking countries to indulge in local cuisines while keeping her Spanish sharp, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. She divides her time between New York City and the Berkshires, where she can often be found creating trails and tending to her garden with her partner. 

Kim-Ashleigh (she/her) brings a passion for nutrition, sustainability, and community engagement to the Fresh Food Connect team. With an MBA from UCLA Anderson and a background as a registered dietitian, Kim-Ashleigh combines a deep understanding of health and wellness with a strategic approach to driving social impact.

Based in San Diego, Kim-Ashleigh works in sustainability and social impact, focusing on initiatives that create positive environmental and community outcomes. A committed advocate for local food systems, Kim-Ashleigh is actively involved in a local community garden and helps lead a workplace garden initiative to inspire collaboration and cultivate fresh produce.

When not in the garden, Kim-Ashleigh enjoys taking walks with their husband and two dogs, or spending lazy days on the couch recharging and relaxing.

Ben (he/him) has spent his career in technology startups and is the founder of Encircle, a wellness app that helps grievers get sustained support from their closest friends and family, long after the funeral is over. He's drawn to unifying human experiences, whether it's exploring mortality or how food gets to our plates. When Ben isn't building Encircle, you can find him surfing, playing guitar, or planting food crops in his garden. Ben also has become a volunteer leader of a family foundation, working to evolve their grantmaking efforts towards trust-based philanthropy and shared intentionality. 

Turner (he/him) co-founded Fresh Food Connect on behalf of Denver Food Rescue, and served as our founding board president until 2023. 

Turner is an award winning social entrepreneur turned social enterprise strategist, executive coach, and philanthropic advisor. He has started a number of successful businesses and nonprofits mostly focused on solutions to food waste, including previous roles at Upcycled Food Association (co-founder and CEO), Denver Food Rescue (co-founder and Executive Director), Abarrotes Bondadosa (co-founder and board president), Hibbert’s Twice Rounds (co-founder), Dirtbag vans (co-founder), and the Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council (member).

Michael (he/him) was the Executive Director of Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) for over 26 years, where he collaborated with community members to design, build and steward DUG’s metro-wide network of community gardens and community farms. He holds a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University and a BSLA from Colorado State University. 

He is a past recipient of the Colorado Public Health Association’s Florence Sabin Award in recognition of his leadership in improving public health through gardens and sustainable food systems.

Michael has also served on Denver’s Sustainable Food Policy Council and Denver Water’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee, and he was a founding board member of several grassroots organizations, including Groundwork Denver and Fresh Food Connect. 

Michael is a native of Denver, and is currently working as a lead designer for the top design-build landscape firm in the MetroArea - Designscapes Colorado. He loves to spend his free time gardening, skiing, hiking, golfing and fly-fishing with his wife and four children.

Cindy (she/her) is Groundwork Denver's Executive Director and has been serving Groundwork Denver in various roles since 2010, including as a volunteer, Board, and staff member. Cindy has a background in nonprofit management, philanthropy, and has a deep passion for the environment. She earned a Masters in Business Administration from the Yale School of Management and a Masters in Environmental Management at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. She also has a B.A. from Tufts University.  

Andrew (he/him) has worked on startup, enterprise, and government software projects in fitness, healthcare, life sciences, and financial services after receiving his computer science degree. Andrew was a cofounder and former CTO of a fitness studio management software-as-a-service startup where he captured 12,000 DC wellness minded user accounts, $1.5 million of local business cash flow, and about a half million tracked group exercise minutes per quarter lifetime average. More recently, Andrew has been working as a freelancer providing virtual CTO services and technical advisory to multiple early ventures in DC and Nashville focusing on Telehealth, Virtual Reality, and Legal products.

Emily (she/her) is equally as passionate about finding the best slice of pizza as she is about making sure that it has a positive impact on our environment. Through her work in food access Emily has become increasingly interested in ensuring that our food system promotes the health of people, communities and our planet. With a background in health equity and food justice she has worked with communities across the country to create their own healthier futures. She helped found Fresh Food Connect while working with Denver Food Rescue. Currently she is the Director of Cloud City Conservation Center in Leadville, CO. Ultimately Emily believes that our own individual health is not separate from the health of our communities or our planet. She loves nothing more than a day skiing or running in the mountains followed by pizza topped with veggies from her garden, and making sure that neither her adventures or her food had a negative impact on the environment or the communities connected to it.