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

Kathy Nyquist

Founder and Principal

Andrea J. Carbine

Food Business Team Leader

Eileen Horn

Food Policy Team Leader

Melissa Hamilton

Business Strategy Specialist

Liane Sullivan

Project Manager

Maya Atlas

Project Manager and Kitchen Specialist

Caroline Myran

Food System Project Manager

Annie Kalavagunta

Financial Specialist

Claudia Yang

Financial Analyst

Sheree Goertzen

Research & Funding Development Specialist

Julia Larouche

Research Associate

Maura Rapkin

Research Associate

Sarah Lesch

Facility Design Specialist

Sarah Brown

Food & Ag Policy Specialist

Emmy Nyquist

Research Assistant

Alex Stoicof

Cartographer

Deb Wilkinson

Operations Manager

Our Collaborators

Jim Carbine

Food Industry Strategist

Saloni Doshi

Business Strategy Specialist

Patti Wu-Manchester

Financial Specialist

Christian Vetter

Retail Market Analyst

Lou Scudere

Grocery 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)