SPEAKER INFORMATION

RMSER Empowerment Center

Brandi Adakai- Regional Director of Rocky Mountain SER. Blessed mom of two children: Christiana (12) and Josiah (9). Passionate about food systems, business incubation, community development and youth programming. Brandi serves on boards with Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, Nourish Colorado, Pueblo Food Project, and El Pomar Foundation Native American advisory board

My motto: “with every negative, THERE IS a positive”

Zendo Greens

Randi Addington is the owner of Zendo Greens, a microgreens company in Pueblo, CO. Combining her passion for sustainable agriculture and promoting mindfulness, Zendo Greens provides fresh, nutrient-dense microgreens while inspiring others to find peace and purpose in growing their own food. With a background in healthcare and a focus on mental health advocacy, she believes cultivating microgreens can nurture both the body and mind, fostering healthier, more mindful communities.

Colorado State University Extension Pueblo County

Kristi Bartolo is the Agronomy Specialist with Colorado State University Extension in Pueblo County, working to help farmers with their crops, from pest and disease issues, to soil testing and water management to marketing and grant writing. She was born and raised in Pueblo and still enjoys living and working here, hoping to help the community however she can.

Colorado State University, Dept. of Horticulture

Jennifer Bousselot, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State University. Jen and her graduate students study green roof plant-pollinator interactions, green roof system stormwater capture, rooftop agriculture, and the integration of solar panels on green roofs, also known as rooftop agrivoltaics. Jen and her graduate students perform research in three cities, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins. Jen's office is at the CSU Spur campus in Denver where she oversees rooftop agrivoltaics research.

Alliance for Collective Action

Jolie is a dynamic leader with over a decade of experience in community building and advocacy. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to uplifting marginalized voices and fostering meaningful connections. In 2021, Jolie served as Vice Chair for the Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission, traveling across the state to engage Coloradans and champion equitable representation. Currently, she serves on Colorado's Produced Water Consortium, appointed by the President of the Senate for her environmental justice work. This dedication to amplifying community voices continues to guide her work as Program Director.
Before joining the Alliance, Jolie served as Executive Director of the Washington Street Community Center, where she united South-Central Denver's neighbors and neighborhoods to create an intergenerational hub for connection and collaboration.

Arkansas Audubon Society

Marla Browne currently serves as a board member for the Arkansas Valley Audubon Society and has been with Best Friends Animal Society in a variety of roles since 2010. An animal lover and passionate birder, Marla's experience includes wild bird rehabilitation and project management. She is pursuing her wild songbird rehabilitation license to provide more support for injured birds in Pueblo. Marla holds a master's certificate in project management from CSU Global and a master's degree in Spanish translation from the University of Puerto Rico.

Windchime Farms

Alan is a veteran of the U.S. Army, retired law enforcement officer, and co-proprietor of Windchime Farm. Ten years ago, he and his wife Meredy left suburbia in search of a more self-sufficient lifestyle and moved to a 115 year old farm house on 2.3 acres outside Rocky Ford, Colorado. Between then and Alan’s retirement in 2021 from a lifetime of public service, they worked on developing their small acreage homestead, growing heirloom vegetables, garlic, and herbs, and raising poultry and heritage American Guinea Hogs using regenerative agricultural and humane animal husbandry practices. One of their many current projects is nurturing two trees started from cuttings of only surviving apple tree documented as having planted by John “Johnny Appleseed” Chapman. Alan is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Pueblo Food Project’s Food Entrepreneur Program, and has been a fixture at the Pueblo Farmers Market since 2022. Each fall, he teaches a garlic-growing class at the RMSER Community Garden.

Quarter Acre and a Mule

Perdita Butler is an experienced urban agriculturalist and farmer, dating back to 1995. Perdita holds multiple degrees that have influenced her career in agriculture including: Geology, from Carleton College, Biology and Secondary Education from Metropolitan State University; Certification, Agroecology Systems, University of California. Perdita completed secondary Montessori certification which includes the Farm (Nature-Based Integration) as its classroom. Perdita owns her own farm business, Quarter Acre and a Mule farm which focuses on providing nutritionally dense food to the local community. Perdita has also worked on several larger for profit farms, as well as in nonprofit and community farm settings. Her diversified experience has included education coordinator for New Farmers (which transitioned Ethiopian immigrant farmers into organic farming in King County); director of Sustainable Lands Community Garden Program; program director of Powderhorn Youth Farm; CSA farmer and community outreach coordinator for AfroEco in St. Paul. Recently, in Colorado she farmed with Frontline Farms in Denver, a nonprofit farm focused on food justice and advocacy and volunteered with the Pueblo Food Project. Perdita was the anchor produce vendor for the SPANN Farmer’s Market on the Eastside of Pueblo.

Pueblo Farmers Market

Marci's passion is helping people access the locally grown food available in and to the community, and the amazing farmers that grow it. There is just something about shaking the hands that nurtured your food - it can truly be life-altering.

Starquake Solar

Chris is a 25-year veteran in the solar industry, currently working in the residential, commercial and agricultural arenas. During his career Chris developed coursework for Red Rocks Community College’s Renewable Energy Department, and after developing the proprietary Growgenics LED Agricultural Lighting Company, spent three years in development , testing and deployment of agricultural DC electrical applications. Chris leads the design and proposal teams developing commercial and agricultural renewable energy installation projects.

Red Camper Picnic Supple

Maura Gramzinski is a creative entrepreneur, specialty food maker, producer, photographer, and writer based in Denver and Pueblo, Colorado. She founded RedCamper, Inc. in 2005, evolving its offerings from the world’s first 35mm slide handbags to an internationally distributed stationery line, and ultimately into a nationally recognized food brand with award-winning preserved fruit products available in Whole Foods, Krogers, and over 500 specialty stores nationwide.

Raised off-grid by road-tripping hippie parents, Maura’s entrepreneurial spirit sparked early — starting with a rock shop at age five, followed by car washing, babysitting, and working at a local movie theater through her teenage years.
Beyond her ventures, Maura volunteers as a Medical Coordinator for Friends of Retired Greyhounds and has been an Airbnb Super Host since 2015, offering guests a curated Denver experience while fostering lasting relationships. Her work bridges industries — from media and filmmaking to trade and hospitality — always driven by her passion for storytelling, creativity, and building meaningful connections and lasting experiences.

Desert Canyon Farm

Tammi Hartung has been working with plants for more than 46 years. She is an Ethnobotanical Herbalist, Organic Farmer, Author and International Speaker. She and her husband, Chris, own Desert Canyon Farm, a certified organic farm since 1996 in Canon City, CO. Tammi blogs at desertcanyonfarm.wordpress.com .

Colorado State University Extension Pueblo County

Beth Hayes is the Pueblo CSU Extension Agriculture, Natural Resources & Small Acreage Specialist and works to solve community problems in Pueblo for both big and small agriculture producers. She has worked for large and small scale cow-calf operations and has many other years of experience in a wide range of diversified animal agriculture.

Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce & Pueblo Chile Growers Association

As a long-time resident of Pueblo, Donielle has actively contributed to various segments of the community. Following a successful career in Sales & Marketing, she assumed leadership of the Convention & Visitors Bureau under the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce in 2015.
Now serving as Vice President, she provides instrumental leadership and advocacy to a diverse range of business and tourism organizations. Donielle also serves as Executive Director of the Pueblo Chile Growers Association, championing the unique Pueblo Chile, a key component of Pueblo's brand and the centerpiece of the region's largest festival, the Pueblo Chile & Frijole Festival. She is dedicated to raising awareness of the Pueblo Chile brand and advocating for Pueblo's agricultural industry.
Whether promoting Pueblo as the “spicier side of Colorado” or the Pueblo Chile as the world's best pepper, Donielle's passion for her community shines through and her advice is obvious – Always KEEP IT SPICY!

Jack's Solar Garden / Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center

Byron Kominek is the Executive Director of the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center and founder and manager of Jack's Solar Garden. Byron is a former US diplomat having served with the US Agency for International Development in Zambia and Mozambique working on forestry and wildlife conservation. Through his work in Africa with USAID , the Peace Corps Volunteer and with Doctors Without Borders, Byron has a long-standing interest in natural resource management and governance. Byron was honored as a 2024 US Ashoka Fellow to continue educating and inspiring Americans with his work in agrivoltaics. Just recently, we he was appointed as a volunteer Planning Commissioner for Boulder County.

Earth Regeneration Alliance

Mandy was born and raised in Colorado. With a degree in Sociology and Environmental Affairs from Colorado State University, Mandy focuses on raising public awareness regarding the importance of relocalizing food, product and service systems while also ensuring those systems are regenerative, holistic, and based in relationships with one another and with Nature. She has done numerous educational presentations and has also worked with regenerative farmers and ranchers to get their stories out to the public. She connects the dots for people as to how regenerative, local, Nature-inspired systems can reverse climate change, heal the oceans, and positively impact biodiversity and human health through regenerating soil and food.

Eptimizo

Monique believes food connects us to ourselves, eachother, and our magnificent planet. Her strategy firm Eptimizo, works at every scale from local to international food systems design. Monique got her permaculture desgin certification from Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute. She is a Pueblo native, and holds degrees from Yale University, New York University.

Pueblo Food Project

Megan Moore was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, a SIXTH generation Puebloan! She’s a proud graduate of Colorado State University Pueblo. Megan is happily engaged to her partner, Kevin, and owner of a darling corgi, Jerry Jeff! Megan is an assistant tennis coach at Central High School, serves as a board member with the CSU Pueblo Alumni Association, and is a certified Colorado Master Gardener. Megan currently serves as a Co-director at the Pueblo Food Project (PFP). She has found great passion and connection in the world of food systems and the impact of food skills education, thriving local food economies, and healthy food access on our communities. She is deeply committed to the Pueblo community and will continue to dedicate her love, time, and heart to Pueblo.

Colorado State University Extension Viticulture

Charlotte received her B.S, M.S., and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology with a focus on wine grapes from Virginia Tech. Charlotte took her position with CSU in Jul 2022 where her primary role is interacting with the Colorado grape industry and providing timely educational resources for commercial and backyard grape growers. Her current program goals are to fill in the educational gaps between active research programs and the Colorado industry, evaluate the presence and distribution of grape viruses across the state, and diversify the production of table grapes on the Western slope.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Alexis Pascaris is a social scientist and subject matter expert in agrivoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Her research portfolio features mixed method approaches to understanding the socio-political challenges and opportunities at the energy-agriculture nexus, with a specific focus on using stakeholder engagement to inform agrivoltaic policy and practice. She believes agrivoltaics can play an important role in fostering cross-sector partnerships that maximize the social, environmental, and economic benefits of solar development.

osl8

Angelina is a lifelong student and philosopher who comes from farm family lineages on both her mother and father's side. She has always felt a deep connection to the land and natural world. Angelina is currently looking for a way to creatively weave her studies of Psychology, Traditional Ecological knowledge, and healing modalities with community wellness and healthy relationship building.

Pueblo Food Project

Serena transplanted from her home state of Florida to Pueblo, Colorado in July 2022. She graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Ag & Natural Resource Management and Soil & Water Science. Though a lifelong lover of delicious and colorful food, Serena realized her passion for food systems work in her previous job as Sustainability Manager at the University of Florida's dining program. She now finds so much joy in serving the Pueblo community as Program Manager at the Pueblo Food Project.

Colorado Master Gardener

Kata is a wife, mother of four, and grandmother of seven. She is a passionate Master Gardener who has been involved with CSU-Extension for over 20 years in Pueblo and Boulder County. She enjoys sharing the skills and knowledge that empower people to grow gardens and make compost at home.

Fuel Kitchens

Nathan Stern is the co-developer of the Fuel & Iron Project, focused on providing opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to open restaurants, packaged food businesses, and farms. The Project includes three incubator sites in Pueblo: Fuel & Iron Food Hall in the historic Holmes Hardware Building (featuring six restaurants and a bar), Fuel Kitchen (an incubator commissary kitchen) and Fuel Farm (an urban farm and greenhouse). All three incubator sites are slated to open in 2023, and each will eventually include an apprenticeship program geared toward training aspiring entrepreneurs. The upper floors of the Holmes Hardware Building contain 28 workforce housing units, and 24 more units are planned on an adjacent parcel downtown. The food community in Pueblo is incredible, and Fuel & Iron is lucky to be a part of it.

Palmer Land Conservancy

A Colorado native, Theron discovered his passion for the outdoors at a very early age. Raised in a diverse family with deep roots in agriculture, since childhood he has enjoyed weekends on his great aunt’s farm, playing sports, hiking, camping, and fishing all over Colorado.
Theron received an athletic scholarship to University of Northern Colorado and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Geography and a Professional Science Master’s in Environmental Geosciences while competing in Division 1 football. Theron’s professional background includes forestry and horticulture, environmental testing, municipal planning, wildlife management, and water administration. As Palmer's Land Stewardship Manager, he is interested in taking a holistic approach to stewarding land and natural resources that balances the needs of agriculture, wildlife, and outdoor recreation, among others.