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People
The rose portal at the Ideagarden site
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Will Rosenzweig and the Plant Futures Initiative team collaborating on a curriculum development session at the Ideagarden site
Cultivating Purpose
The collaboration between longtime friends Will Rosenzweig and Greg Steltenpohl formed over their shared dedication to transforming the entrepreneurial world from "me" to "we" through systems thinking and action. Rosenzweig and Steltenpohl created Ideagarden Institute to inspire and support entrepreneurs who seek
a sustainable future for all.
We manifest this mission with a commitment to
cross-pollination - bringing together interdisciplinary communities of creativity and purpose, in our physical garden in Healdsburg, California and through our live and online educational programs and outreach.
Program Leadership
Director, Ideagarden Insititute
Cheyenne is an entrepreneurial spirit committed to advancing a food system that benefits people and the planet. With years of experience working across the food and climate ecosystem—from a Feeding America food bank to a climate finance consultancy—she brings a breadth of perspectives from both private and public sectors. A proud Ideagarden alumna, Cheyenne is excited to return full-time to the Institute to drive impactful change. She holds a Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley, specializing in Sustainable Food Systems, and a Bachelor’s from Amherst College.
Founder & Executive Director, Plant Futures
Samantha founded the Plant Futures Initiative when she was a Master's of Public Health graduate student at UC Berkeley. Plant Futures works with college students to accelerate the transition to a plant-rich food system. Samantha collaborated with several student colleagues to create the first academic course of its kind and now stewards a rapidly growing social venture that equips students with curriculum, campus chapters and professional pathways to guide and work in the plant-centric food sector. She is now a much sought-after thought leader and domain expert and speaks at global food systems conferences.
Founder & Executive Director, Climate Farm School
Laney earned her Ph.D. from the U.C. Berkeley Energy and Resources Group in 2020, focusing on sustainable agroecological food systems and climate change education. Her dissertation research included summers on regenerative farms. Before graduate school, she spent two years as a middle school teaching fellow in Boston, MA, through AmeriCorps National Teaching Fellowship. Now living on a farm in Sonoma County, California, Laney enjoys farming, worm composting, trail running, bird watching, and ocean swimming. ​
Director of Operations
Aneeha Patwardhan serves as Director of Operations for Ideagarden Institute and provides strategic and operational support to the Greenhouse’s resident initiatives, Climate Farm School, FARMpreneurs and Plant Futures. Aneeha has years of experience supporting mission-driven organizations involved in food systems transformation and animal advocacy. Her role empowers the team activities of each initiative, while creating synergies that provide efficiencies and boost impact.
Executive Director, FARMpreneurs
Dawnelise has spent the last 17 years as owner and operator of two successful restaurants, Scopa and Campo Fina, where she fostered a strong sense of community through food. She is the co-founder of Corazon Healdsburg, a social equity non-profit. Dawnelise comes to this work through a permacultural lens of interconnectivity, and believes that the best relationships are built by working together in the soil or breaking bread around a table. With a deep passion for bringing people together, she has a superpower for community building and creating spaces where meaningful connections thrive.
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Executive Director, Climate Farm School
Ryan Peterson is committed to regenerating ecosystems through food and agriculture. After starting in Finance, Ryan shifted to studying sustainability at UC Berkeley, where he focused his master's on using policy to promote agroecology. Trained at Chez Panisse, he later helped launch the Culinary and Food Systems Program at the Ecology Center. Now based in Berkeley, Ryan collaborates with farmers and chefs, organizes educational events and courses on regenerative agriculture, and connects poeple to nature through cooking.
Community Coordinator
Laïla is a passionate changemaker dedicated to sustainable food systems, organic farming, native ecosystem restoration, and healing the planet through social change and a deeper reconnection to land and food. With five years of organic farming experience in Sonoma County, her love for creation has led her to explore agriculture, ceramics, photography, graphic design, and marketing. She studied these disciplines at Santa Rosa Junior College before pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on Environmental Systems at Sonoma State. As she completes her degree, she channels her creativity into storytelling that drives positive change and catalyzes shifts in the food system.
Board Members
Ed is partner emeritus at Bessemer Venture Partners, where he served in different operational and leadership roles for over 20 years. His time in private equity informs his financial and professional decisions, and now he offers his valuable insight to Outward Bound California and the Urban School of San Francisco on their respective boards and investment committees.
Fazeela is a Co Founder and Managing Partner at HealthBridge Innovation Fund. She has more than 20 years of finance and investing experience with a focus on growth equity in both the private and public markets. Fazeela holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in chemical engineering with a minor in economics from Cornell University. In addition to her work experience, Fazeela is the Chair of the Advisory Council of Cornell University’s Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Will is co-founder and Chairperson of Ideagarden Institute. He is an internationally recognized entrepreneur and educator. He is the founder and faculty steward of the Sustainable Food Initiative at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and former founding Dean of the Food Business School at The Culinary Institute of America. Will is the co-author of The Republic Tea, How an Idea Becomes a Business, which was named one of the 100 best business books of all time. In 2010, Will received the Oslo Business for Peace Award, a celebrated prize presented by Nobel Laureates for ethical leadership in business.
Catha is an advisor at Radicle Impact, an early-stage venture fund focused on tackling climate change and economic inequality. She was a partner on the investment team for 7 years and led partnerships at fintech startup Personal Capital prior. She started her career in investment banking and private equity. Catha has an MBA from Stanford and a BA in Politics from Princeton.
Kristin serves as the current Chair of the Board of Revolution Foods, a foodservice company that fights food insecurity by making healthy meals accessible for American communities. Prior to co-founding Revolution Foods, Kristin offered her insight and skills as the Vice President of Resources for Indispensable Schools and Educators, and as a member of the White House Council for Community Solutions.
Erin Sietstra is the Head of Investments at Hopelab, where she leads venture investments in companies that aim to improve the mental health and well-being of teens and young adults. Prior to Hopelab, she led Transactions and Business Analytics at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, and began her career as a strategy consultant at Leerink Partners, a healthcare-focused boutique. Erin holds an MBA with a Certificate in Public Management & Social Innovation from Stanford and a BA in Biology from Harvard.
Ideagarden Institute Fellows
MBA/Master of Climate Solutions, UC Berkeley
Ava brings a unique blend of culinary expertise and sustainability focus. With experience in DEI, leadership development, and climate-related grant-making, she's passionate about reducing food waste and promoting regenerative agriculture.
MBA, UC Berkeley Haas
Clem is focused on creating systems-based interventions to tackle poverty, inequality, and chronic disease in the US food system. Her experience includes leading global social impact accelerators and co-founding a community kitchen initiative.
MBA, UC Berkeley Haas
A social justice advocate turned agrifood enthusiast, Vaneshia is dedicated to funding an inclusive and sustainable food future. Her diverse background spans public affairs, culinary exploration, and venture capital in the agrifood sector.
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