On December 4th, CFF partnered with Philanthropy New York, Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders, and Surdna Foundation to sponsor an event called Seeding Power: Leadership for Justice-Based Movements in Food and Farming.
Thirty people attended and another twenty watched online as the heads of three new leadership development programs presented the opportunities they offer. First, Navina Khanna, Director of the HEAL Food Alliance, spoke about their School of Political Leadership that supports 10 food and farm justice leaders with the tools, knowledge, and skills they need to run for office, work on campaigns, and drive political change. Next, Farzana Serang, Executive Director of the Castanea Fellowship, described how Castanea will provide a diverse cohort of leaders with the time, space, and resources they need to connect and innovate on long-term solutions that can foster vibrant communities and the creation of a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy food system. Lastly, Adam Liebowitz, Director of Community Food Funders, outlined the new Seeding Power Fellowship for experienced food justice leaders working across sectors to build equitable food systems in New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island. Each speaker was introduced by a funder who supports their program.
Don Chen, President of Surdna Foundation, opened the meeting with a welcome, and Jennifer Ching, Executive Director of North Star Fund, provided the context and framing for movement building and leadership development in these political times. Follow up directly with each program for more information, including when and how to apply!
The slides presented are all visible in the video, but you can also download the slides from HEAL’s presentation, Castanea’s presentation, and the Seeding Power presentation
The following time markers can be used to jump to different sections of the video:
- Start – Welcome by Don Chen
- 3:00 – Introduction by Jennifer Ching
- 9:00 – HEAL supporter Kellie Terry, Surdna Foundation
- 15:00 – HEAL’s presentation by Navina Khanna
- 25:00 – Castanea supporter Scott Cullen, Grace Communications Foundation
- 27:45 – Castanea’s presentation by Farzana Serang
- 34:50 – Seeding Power support Natasha Lifton, New York Community Trust
- 38:30 – Seeding Power’s presentation by Adam Liebowitz
- 58:50 – Q&A
