Our Team

Our staff work together both on-site and off to grow and distribute thousands of pounds of food each year, provide training to new farmers, and build community around food, nature, social justice, and educational opportunities.

Carly Zimmerman, Denver Green School Farm Manager (she/her)

Carly has a passion for small scale farming, bringing communities together and creating art. She grew up in Northeast Ohio and moved to Denver in early 2023, joining the SCF team soon after. She previously worked on and managed an 8 acre organic vegetable farm for the last 5 years before moving to Denver to be closer to her friends and the mountains. She graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelors in Art Education, and a Bachelors of Fine Art in Printmaking with a minor in painting. Carly loves sharing her knowledge about farming with her team and the Denver Green School students. Additional to creating art in her free time, Carly loves spending time outdoors rock climbing, hiking, and backpacking. Carly’s favorite vegetable is Hakurei Turnips.

Carly can be reached at carly@sproutcityfarms.org.

Jonathan burnette, DGS Community Program Manager (he/him)

Jonathan was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia and relocated to Colorado in 2019. With seven years of experience in childhood education and agricultural work, spanning five states, his career reflects a dedication to strengthening community ties and enhancing lives across varied settings.

His expertise in nurturing young learners, combined with his practical knowledge of sustainable agriculture, enables him to make a significant impact in both educational and environmental spheres.

In addition to his core fields, Jonathan has engaged with diverse communities and has a background in historical studies and film, which enriches his perspective and approach. He believes that discovering common ground with both allies and opponents is crucial for achieving lasting positive change. Driven by a passion for bridging divides, he is committed to fostering unity and learning from every interaction to support collaborative growth and community development.

You can reach him at jonathan@sproutcityfarms.org.

TALIA Feinberg, jack’s solar harvest manager (she/her)

Talia is a farmer and lover of growing, cooking, sharing, and eating food. Her favorite plant family is the cucurbits. She has lived in Longmont on the traditional lands of the Arapahoe, Ute, and Cheyenne people for 2 years, and is excited to continue connecting to this land at the Jack’s Solar Garden farm. Talia is passionate about finding sustainable ways for farmers to participate in decolonizing the food system, building the solidarity economy, ending capitalism, and redistributing resources. Returning for a second season at Jack’s Solar Farm, she is stoked to help Sprout City Farms grow tons of food for the community and learn by doing with agrivoltaics! 

She can be reached at talia@sproutcityfarms.org.

Mira leibovich, JSG research Manager (she/her)

When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Mira just wanted to be a farmer. Granted, she was thinking more along the lines of Old McDonald and his barnyard full of animals rather than a field full of veggies, but she’s proud to say she’s living her childhood dream. She graduated from Ohio University with 4 years of experience interning on the school’s student farm, a degree in environmental studies, a certificate in food studies, and a thesis on racial inequality in the food and agricultural systems. Then she packed up whatever could fit in her car, and moved out to Colorado to begin her full time career as a farmer.

Mira spent a few years working on organic/regenerative farms around the Boulder area growing fruits, veggies, and mushrooms before learning about agrivoltaics and finding her way to Jack’s Solar Garden. She’s happy to be back for a second season helping with the research Sprout City is conducting in partnership with University of Arizona. When the overalls come off and the soil is washed off her hands, you can find her in the kitchen either cooking or baking bread, reading, at a concert, or camping in the mountains.

Reach out to Mira at mira@sproutcityfarms.org.

Lindsay saperstone, Grants Manager (she/her)

Lindsay was born and raised in Colorado, and has spent time living in both Fort Collins and the Denver Metro Area, where she has strong roots in the food justice community. She has also spent time living in Portland, Oregon and outside the country in Chile, Peru and now Mexico, where she currently lives on a small ranch in Veracruz. 

In her varied career she has worked for nonprofits, local government, social enterprises and grassroots campaigns as a community organizer, program administrator and grant writer mostly in the fields of food systems and economic development.

Lindsay is is most passionate about food justice, immigrant justice and community wealth building. Outside of work she loves to spend time with all the animals on her ranch including cows, horses, chickens and her 3 dogs. She also loves to dance, sing karaoke, ride her bike, practice yoga, and cook.

Habla español. She can be reached at lindsay@sproutcityfarms.org.

Our Board of Directors is made up of passionate food access advocates from our community. We are actively seeking board candidates who bring new perspectives to our team!

Mondi Mason, President (she/her)

Mondi is passionate about social justice and food access. For many years she worked closely with migrant farmworkers and community leaders in Colorado and other states to increase access to health care, transportation, and fresh foods. Currently, she works at the City and County of Denver’s Department of Public Health & Environment where for eight years she served as Food Policy Administrator. During that time, she partnered with community members and local organizations like SCF to develop, implement and evaluate efforts to increase access to fresh foods. Mondi is an applied anthropologist who is extensive experience in community-based participatory action. She has a doctorate in Health and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Colorado at Denver and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Northern Colorado.

Jordan Macknick, Vice President & Treasurer (he/him)

Jordan has a long history of working with the agricultural community on multiple angles of sustainability. In the past he worked in the Netherlands to develop joint venture partnerships among sustainable farmers, logistics companies, food processors, and retail establishments. In Minnesota, he worked for Windustry, an organization that facilitates education and discussions for farmers interested in wind energy. In his current role with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, he is working with farmers throughout the country to integrate solar energy into agricultural operations. Jordan has a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Environmental Science from Hamline University and a master’s degree in Environmental Science from Yale University.

Rubea Stouppe (she/her)

Rubea is a passionate public sector professional and sustainable agriculture enthusiast. She currently works as a Program Analyst for FEMA in Region 8. Rubea completed her Master's in Public Administration from Indiana University's O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2018, where she focused on Nonprofit Management. While in graduate school, she worked part-time at the Bloomington Community Orchard in Bloomington, Indiana. She dedicates much of her free time to integrating into Denver's food justice and agriculture community. Rubea is a lover of all things food (growing food, fixing food systems, and eating good food) and a true nerd about fundraising and puzzles. Rubea is excited to share her knowledge, skills, and network with Sprout City Farms.

Daniel Gargan (he/him)

Dan is a Client Portfolio Manager at Great-West Financial in Denver. In his prior work, he has been involved in various start-ups focused on agricultural supply chains and sustainable farming practices. He received his MBA in The Netherlands from Tias School for Business and Society in 2008, and his bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in Environmental Policy from Colorado College. Dan loves the mission of Sprout City Farms and its positive impact on the local communities.

Joe horton (he/him)

Joe is a multidisciplinary designer based in Denver. Throughout his career, Joe has worked with clients across various industries, including government agencies, food and beverage, hospitality, and nonprofits. He has worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver International Airport, Colorado Department of Human Services, the National Parks Services, and several Denver-area art initiatives, among others. In his free time, Joe is a passionate backyard gardener with a focus on sustainable practices, you can also find him at the climbing gym or exploring outside. Joe is excited to be on the board of Sprout City Farms, share and spread their mission, and participate in the communities the organization serves.

Tasha hill (they/them)

Tasha currently is working for the Denver District Attorney's Office as a Grant Administrator, supporting Victim's Rights, Diversion, and Cold Case programs. They have experience in grant writing, fundraising, communications and program development. Their career choices have been defined by service, capacity building, and empowerment. Before coming to the District Attorney's Office, Tasha was working as a caregiver in the Denver community and surrounding areas, helping people with different needs and abilities achieve independence in their everyday life. Tasha also has experience working in development positions at both Sprout City Farms and Denver Urban Gardens. Tasha is a creator at heart, and spends their free time writing, knitting, sewing, and collaging with their two cats.

Thank you to our past staff!

• MAP Community Farm: Jordan Gorrell (2014-2016), Katie Huszcza (2016-2018), Noelle Trueheart (2019), Katie Falkenberg (2019-2020), Andréa Wilkins y Martínez (2021), Clara Burke (2022-2023)

• DGS Community Farm: Chad Hagedorn (2011), Meg Caley (2011-2018), Hannah Perez-Postman (2018), Charles Woodward (2018-2021), Lauren Pearce (2022)

• Dahlia Campus Farm: Faatma Mehrmanesh (2016); Renee Marcoux (2017—still Farm Manager, now on staff at MHCD!)

• Jack’s Solar Farm: Brittany Staie (2021); Liza McConnell (2022-2024)

• Development: James Hale, Development & Planning Coordinator (2011-2012); Alison Hatch, Director of Development & Outreach (2013-2015); Laura Lavid, Executive Director (2015-2017); Alisha Wenger, Development Coordinator (2019); Tasha Hill, Development & Outreach Coordinator (2020-2021); Brooks Hosfeld, Development Coordinator/Director (2021-2024)

• Outreach: Frank Afflitto, 2014 MAP Community Outreach Coordinator; Sara Santa Cruz, 2019 Program & Outreach Coordinator; Naveed Heydari, 2021 MAP Community Navigator; Stefan Karg, 2021-2022 Program Manager; Jess Cunningham, 2022-2024 MAP Community Navigator; Myranda Dominguez, DGS Asst Manager/Education Programs Manager 2022-2024; Paula Cuevas, Community Navigator/Program Director 2021-2024

• Apprentices: Jamie Yeast (DGS), Renee Marcoux (MAP), John Bauman (MAP), Charles Woodward (DGS), Adam McClure (DGS), Jennifer Dennehy (MAP), Lauren Pearce (DGS), Katie Falkenberg (MAP), Ashley Garfias (MAP), Will Nichol (DGS), Carina Gaz (MAP), Angelica Marley (MAP)

• Co-Founders: Chad Hagedorn, James Hale, and Meg Caley

Thank you to past board members!

• Donna Baker-Breningstall

• Ronda Belen, DGS parent

• Neysa Bermingham

• Jeff Buck, Denver Green School

• Matt de Caussin

• Matthew Chavkin

• Giselle Diaz Campagna

• Milan Doshi, Queen Anne B&B

• Jim Dunn, Environmental Protection Agency

• Tori Ford, Denver Urban Gardens

• Jordan Fouts

• Jessica George

• Dan Goldhamer, Colorado State University Extension

• Elaine Granata, Granata Farms

• James Hale

• Sandra Jalufka, CPA

• Marijke Jongbloed, Rocky Mountain InstituteRyan Kaszycki, TIAA-CREF

• Stephanie Krause, Natural Grocers

• Jeni Lamb Rogers, PSL Law Group

• Dr. Jill Litt, University of Colorado

• Laurel Mattrey, Denver Public Schools

• Dr. Tim Noe, University of Colorado

• Elizabeth Poole Woodward, Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe

• Sarah Roth, Colorado Academy of Family Physicians

• Gloria Rubio-Cortes, National Civic League

• Matthew Saks

• Haley Sammen, Sunnyside Up Farm

• Joe Sammen, Center for Health Progress

• Daisha Versaw, Small Beans LLC

• Jack Yeh, Turing School of Software and Design

• Sasha Cueno, Checkr

• Hillary Barrett-Osborne, Gates Corporation

• Curran Hughes, Renegade Plastics

• Rachel Cernansky, Vogue Magazine

• Katy Rossiter, Northwood Investors

• Cindy Troy, o9 Solutions