About New Venture Advisors

Our team and collaborators bring a unique, multi-faceted perspective to the sustainable food industry.

Our business acumen comes from top tier consulting, strategy and operations management experience in the private sector. Our entrepreneurial vision stems from launching and running our own food enterprises. Our passion for social and environmental impact aligns with our diverse experience in the social and civic sectors. We bring this all together to help our clients develop food systems and businesses that are socially and economically sustainable.  

New Venture Advisors is exceptional. The team has a rare ability grasp the vision for a project as well as the nuance. It’s a pleasure to work with skilled, knowledgeable, experienced people who share a passion for rebuilding food systems that work for people and places.

Mauri Ingram

President & CEO, Whatcom Community Foundation

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Our Team

Nikiar Ahmadi

Finance Analyst

Maya Atlas

Project Manager

Andrea J. Carbine

Sr. Director

Kamanani Conklin

Food Policy Specialist

Michelle DiMuzio

Project Management Associate

Sheree Goertzen

Funding Development Specialist & Research Associate

Chelsea Hanson

Health Equity and Innovation Strategy Specialist

Jess Hogue

Facility Design Specialist

Julia Larouche

Research Associate

Dan Lasky

Research Associate

Sarah Lesch

Facility Design Specialist

Avi Mallinger

Project Manager

Hannah Martin

Research Associate

Kara Martin

Sr. Project Manager

Emmy Nyquist

Research Assistant

Kathy Nyquist

Founder and Principal

Maura Rapkin

Research Associate

Nikki Seibert Kelley

Business Development Manager

Deb Wilkinson

Operations Manager

Claudia Yang

Finance Specialist

Our Collaborators

Jim Carbine

Food Industry Strategist

Lou Scudere

Grocery Market Analyst

Christian Vetter

Retail Market Analyst

 Whatcom County Food System Plan

In 2021, the Whatcom County Food System Committee conducted a community food assessment that pointed to key opportunities to build a more robust and resilient regional food system. New Venture Advisors partnered with Whatcom County staff and the Food System Committee to draft a Whatcom County Food System Plan that builds upon these findings. This Plan focuses on five key goals for building a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system, and was informed by an inclusive community engagement process. The Food System Plan will provide the county with a policy roadmap that will strengthen the local food system for years to come. (2023)

 Whatcom Local Food Campus

The Whatcom Community Foundation invests in activities and organizations that improve the ability of people to help themselves, increase connections among people, and take cooperative approaches to community issues. WCF is exploring the development of a local food campus on a waterfront property that would become a multi-tenant site, anchored by a collaborative production kitchen benefitting food access, school system, and community organizations. The goal is strengthening Whatcom County’s local food system by promoting health equity, forging tangible strategic connections between food production organizations, and helping farmers connect with institutional markets. The facility will also feature an incubation kitchen, demonstration kitchen, event and classroom space, collaborative office and conference facilities, and housing.  New Venture Advisors developed the business case for this ambitious project and continues to support its development through engagement and operational development. (2023)