Hannah Martin

Research Associate

 

 Hannah is an energized food systems professional with a decade of expertise leading collaborative initiatives and cross-functional teams. Driven by a passion for fostering alignment across diverse sectors, she brings a unique blend of experience in nutrition, food systems, and community engagement. After earning a dual degree in Dietetics and Nutrition Food Science from the University of Vermont, Hannah began her career at the nonprofit Boston Public Market Association. Joining the team during the final stages of construction, vendor recruitment, and operation planning, she played a key role in launching the year-round indoor market, which supports over 30 permanent local New England purveyors in downtown Boston.

 Following a year of travel with Outstanding in the Field, Hannah settled in Salt Lake City where she transitioned into the public sector. She worked at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for seven years, significantly expanding nutrition incentive programs across the state. Through her work, she strengthened partnerships between public health, local agriculture, and community organizations, helping to improve access to healthy and locally grown food for underserved populations. During this period, she also earned a master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition from Utah State University.

 Currently living a nomadic lifestyle, Hannah is exploring the country to find some of the best mountain biking, rock climbing, and donut destinations. Her travels fuel her creativity and passion for connecting with people and the places that ground them, wherever she goes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Whatcom County Food System Plan

New Venture Advisors supported Whatcom County staff and the Food System Committee in developing the Whatcom County Food System Plan, a 10-year roadmap for a more equitable and resilient food system. NVA led plan development, community engagement, and cross-sector strategy, integrating agriculture, fisheries and marine harvest, processing, distribution, and access to strengthen the regional food economy. (2023)

 Whatcom Local Food Campus

Whatcom Community Foundation continues to partner with New Venture Advisors to guide the development of the Kitchens@Millworks —a bold project uniting health, equity, and market access. Building on previous work with the Farm to Freezer program, the team developed an operational model, financial analysis, and partner strategy. NVA is evaluating expansion of farm-to-institution efforts and their potential relocation to the new campus. Advanced financial models support a multi-operator facility encompassing production, aggregation, retail, and community programs. (2026)