ABOUT

FoodBridge builds bold collaborations for regenerative food and farming.

It works with farmers, food companies, crop advisors, investors, governments and others to shift the fundamental conditions for agricultural producers toward sustainability.

Through action research, convening and communication, FoodBridge helps build resilient food and agriculture systems with the goal of ensuring healthy soils, clean water, abundant biodiversity, a stable climate, and sustainable livelihoods for all.

Established in 2021, FoodBridge is a non-profit initiative on MakeWay’s Shared Platform.

Our team

Beth Hunter, Director

Beth is a seasoned bilingual food and agriculture innovator. Prior to founding FoodBridge, she was Program Director at the McConnell Foundation, leading the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative including Nourish, and working on the Foundation’s Climate and Reconciliation programs. A co-founder of Équiterre and the Community Supported Agriculture network, she also coordinated Greenpeace Canada’s campaign on responsible seafood sourcing in supermarkets. She recently served as agriculture strategy advisor to Nature United and co-authored a sustainable agriculture framework for philanthropy with the Transition Accelerator.

Beth holds a Master’s degree in Rural Economics from Laval University.

Isabelle Marquis, Communication and corporate engagement strategist

Isabelle Marquis is a nutrition, food marketing and communication professional with over 20 years of experience in consulting agencies and food processing companies. Her current work focuses on communication and innovation strategies for companies of all sizes in the Quebec and Canadian food sector.

Recognized for her rigour, contagious passion, and strategic creativity, Isabelle is actively committed to contributing to improving the quality and sustainability of the food supply in Canada.

Innovation and Sustainability Ambassador for SIAL Canada, Isabelle is a reference in food for many media and a regular contributor to the show L’épicerie on Ici Radio-Canada Télé.

Nadine Bachand, Agri-environmental Analyst

An environmental professional for 25 years, Nadine is passionate about creating collaborative projects aimed at accelerating the transition to more resilient, sustainable and nourishing food systems. She devoted herself rigorously to this task with Équiterre from 2003 to 2023, where she developed an in-depth knowledge of agricultural issues and the challenges of implementing innovative environmental and social practices.

An accomplished communicator, Nadine has led numerous awareness-raising and engagement projects promoting sustainable agriculture.

Yourianne Plante, Communications and engagement manager

Yourianne is a communication professional specializing in the agri-food and environmental sectors, having held various management and public affairs positions for the past 15 years. Today, as a strategic communication consultant, she shares her passion for promoting innovative local food systems and environmental sustainability. Throughout her career, Yourianne has collaborated with organizations such as Lufa Farms, Eco Entreprises Québec, and the Quebec Strawberry and Raspberry Growers Association.

Yourianne holds a master’s degree in environmental management from Sherbrooke University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UQAM.

Gabrielle Bastien, Project manager, food and environment

A community organizer, social entrepreneur and consultant in the field of agriculture and the environment, Gabrielle has been an advocate for an agriculture that regenerates soil health and mitigates climate change for over 10 years. This passion led her to found Regeneration Canada and organize the Living Soils Symposium, which played a key role in the transition to regenerative land management in the country. She was Vice-President of the international 4p1000 initiative for food security and climate change, which led her to chair various international events.

Gabrielle holds a Master’s degree in Sustainability and Environmental Management from Harvard University and is the recipient of a 2021 Canada’s Clean50 Emerging Leader Award.

Key advisors and steering committee members

*Hal Hamilton

Hal Hamilton co-founded the Sustainable Food Lab, and now serves as Senior Advisor. He is also a co-founder and faculty of the Academy for Systemic Change. His career has included farming, community organizing, leadership development, corporate consulting, and the design of dozens of programs to improve the lives of rural people and the places they steward.

Hal has been a guest faculty lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and other business schools, German Marshall Fellow, Kellogg Fellow, and James Beard Foundation
Leadership Awardee.

*Catherine Rowe

Catherine Rowe is an accomplished leader in the world of philanthropy, with a career spanning over three decades. She played leadership roles at renowned institutions such as CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation, The Neuro, and Centraide du Grand Montréal. Currently a partner at Pur Philanthropie, a boutique consulting firm, she specializes in providing strategic support to the philanthropic sector. Recognized for her profound impact on not-for-profit development, she received the National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Career in Philanthropy Award in 2018. Catherine is an engaged volunteer, serving on boards and committees for organizations like Seed Change Foundation, Artistri Sud and National Philanthropy Day awards committee.

Kimberlee Chambers

Dr. Kimberlee Chambers holds a Ph.D. from University of California-Davis, and has conducted applied agricultural projects in the US, Canada, & Mexico on topics such as regenerative farming and ranching, local food systems, climate change, and agrobiodiversity conservation. She has collaborated with small to large-scale producers, academics, non-profits, government agencies, and corporations. Kimberlee has also worked in the for-profit food and agricultural sectors including with processors, distributors, and wholesalers. At Earthworm Foundation Kimberlee leads the US & Canada Agricultural Programs overseeing large multi-stakeholder sustainable and regenerative agriculture projects. She grew up on a multi-generation family farm in Ontario, Canada.

Marlène Thiboutot

Coming Soon

Nick Betts

Nick has spent his professional life working to build collaborative opportunities to advance food system sustainability. He has over a decade of experience of sustainability implementation and strategy development in agricultural supply chains. His experience extends from the supply chain, through farm-level engagement and working through government, NGOs and for-profit sectors on advancing corporate and cros-industry agricultural sustainability initiatives. He presently works as a Senior Managing Consultant in the Agricultural Value Chains team at South Pole. Prior to joining South Pole, Nick consulted, advised and built multiple company-level and association-level roadmaps for regenerative agriculture, including leading SAI Platform’s cross-sector development of a global regenerative agriculture programme. Residing in Guelph, Ontario, he holds an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability and BSc. in Ecology.

Tori Waugh

Tori Waugh is an accomplished professional and leader in the field of agriculture and sustainability, based in Ontario. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Ontario Soil Network and the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario. In these roles, Tori is dedicated to promoting sustainable agricultural practices, supporting farmers across the province, and advancing the interests of Ontario’s agricultural industry. In recognition of her contributions to the field, Tori was named a Clean 50 Emerging Leader Honouree in 2022, an award that recognizes outstanding achievements in sustainability and environmental leadership. With her passion for innovation and commitment to sustainability, Tori is poised to continue making a positive impact in her field for years to come.

Deborah Froeb

Deborah is Conservation Finance Strategy Advisor at Nature United where she develops the strategies and financial mechanisms to secure diversified and durable funding for Indigenous-led conservation projects in Canada. She joined Nature United’s global parent organization, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2008 as Director of Land Conservation and Finance. A member of the founding team at NatureVest, TNC’s impact investment unit, she developed and managed investments in regenerative agriculture across the U.S. and Latin America.

An investment professional, Deborah held management roles with publicly traded institutional investors and banks for 20 years and holds a Masters in Management from Northwestern University and a BA from The Colorado College.

*Steering committee member

FoodBridge is fortunate to have a wide range of other advisors, friends, volunteers and supporters, without which our work would be impossible.

ABOUT

Our team

Key advisors and steering committee members

Partners and collaborators