Kara Martin

Sr. Project Manager

 

 For over two decades, Kara has been dedicated to advancing equitable community food systems across the Greater Seattle region. With a background in food system planning and nonprofit management, her work has focused on food system assessments, planning and policy development, program development, and partnerships convening.

 Before joining New Venture Advisors, Kara was the Executive Director at City Fruit, a Seattle-based food security organization. For seven years she led the development of the Food Innovation Network, a community-centered initiative in South King County with a food business incubator and farmers market, aimed at providing business opportunity and financial stability for immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs and farmers. Kara previously ran a consulting firm where she collaborated with local governments and nonprofits on community food system projects to enhance food access and economic opportunity.

 Kara has served on the American Planning Association’s Food Division executive committee, the Seattle Planning Commission, and the Washington State Food System Roundtable. She is an Affiliate Instructor at the University of Washington’s Department of Urban Design and Planning, where she co-teaches a Food Systems course.

 Kara holds a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado.

 

 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)