 Lilli Ambort — Intern, Energy Democracy Initiative
Lilli Ambort is an Energy Democracy Intern with the Energy Democracy initiative where she contributes to blog posts and interactive features. She is currently studying Global Studies, Political Economy and Environmental Change, with a minor in Chinese Language and Culture at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. |
Michelle Andrews — GIS and Data Visualization Researcher
Michelle Andrews is a GIS and Data Visualization Researcher with the Community Broadband Initiative. She received her Masters of Science in GIS from Clark University and served for two years in CTEP AmeriCorps in the Twin Cities. She pairs her data analysis and mapping background with the on-the-ground digital equity work to make data both applicable and easily understandable to a wide range of audiences.
Contact |
 John Bailey — Development Director
John is the Director of Development and is responsible for coordinating fundraising and related outreach for ILSR. He was a senior researcher at ILSR from 1992 until 2011, specializing in decentralized energy policy and analysis including topics of renewable energy, climate change, efficiency, tax policy and electric vehicles.
Contact – Twitter |
Linda Bilsens — Project Manager, Composting for Community Initiative and Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders Program
Linda is the Project Manager for ILSR’s Composting for Community project and Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders community composter training program. Her role is dedicated to fostering a skilled, collaborative network of composters who are regenerating their communities, both socially and ecologically.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
Jessica Del Fiacco — Communications Manager
Jessica Del Fiacco is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Communications Manager. She works closely with all of our initiatives to build community power and combat monopolies, and she runs ILSR’s social media networks on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Jessica also produces the Institute’s Building Local Power podcast.
Contact Jessica for media inquiries.
Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter
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 John Farrell — Co-Director & Director, Energy Democracy Initiative
John Farrell is co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its work on energy democracy. John is best known for his vivid illustrations of the economic and environmental benefits of local ownership of decentralized renewable energy.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Zach Freed — Research Associate, Independent Business Initiative
Zach Freed is a research associate with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Independent Business Initiative. His work focuses on ending concentrated private economic power.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 India Gorden — Operations Manager
India Gorden is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Operations Manager. India has managed day-to-day office operations for non-profit organizations since 2003 and maintains her professional relationship with various vendors. Her focus is in office management, finance and general human resources.
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 Susan Holmberg – Senior Editor and Researcher, Independent Business Initiative
Susan Holmberg is Senior Editor and Researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Independent Business Initiative. She writes on corporate power and inequality and has been published in the New York Times, Time, The Atlantic, The Nation, and Democracy Journal.
Full Bio – Contact – Twitter |
 Sophia Hosain – Baltimore Project Lead, Composting for Community Initiative
Sophia Hosain is the Baltimore Lead on ILSR’s Composting for Community project and Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders community composter training program. A graduate of the Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders program and part-time vegetable & flower farmer, Sophia now works in sustainability and is interested in alternative energy, permaculture and circular economies.
Contact |
 Katie Kienbaum – Research Associate, Community Broadband Networks Initiative
Katie is a Research Associate with the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. She researches and writes about rural Internet access and community-owned networks.
Contact |
 Linda Knapp — Director, MACREDO Project
Linda Knapp is a Senior Program Manager for ILSR, overseeing the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Recycling and Economic Development Officials, a recycling market development group funded by US EPA Region 3. Her current work focuses on increasing on-farm composting.
Full Bio – Contact |
Ron Knox — Senior Researcher and Writer
Ron Knox is the senior researcher and writer for the Independent Business Initiative. He has studied and written about antitrust and monopoly power for more than a decade. Before joining ILSR, he worked in various senior editorial roles at Global Competition Review, and his antimonopoly writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Slate, The American Prospect and elsewhere. He is based in Kansas City.
Contact – Twitter
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 Ry Marcattilio-McCracken — Senior Researcher, Community Broadband Networks Initiative
Ry Marcattilio-McCracken is a Senior Researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative. He is interested in the democratizing power of technology, systems engineering, and the history of science, technology, and medicine. Previously, Ry worked as an Adjunct Professor of American History in Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Minnesota. Ry holds a PhD in American History from Oklahoma State University.
Contact – Twitter |
 Maria McCoy — Research Associate
Maria McCoy is a Research Associate on the Energy Democracy initiative, where she contributes to blog posts, podcasts, video content, and interactive features. She also served as an intern with the Energy Democracy initiative in 2018. Her research focuses on how communities can transition to clean, decentralized energy systems that are both equitable and economically viable.
Contact – Recent Posts |
 Virgil McDill — Communications Director
Virgil McDill has more than 20 years of experience developing and executing media campaigns for government and non-profit organizations. Before joining ILSR in 2020, Virgil served as Associate Director of Public Affairs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where he led key national media campaigns focused on saving historic places and revitalizing communities.
Contact |
 Christopher Mitchell — Director, Community Broadband Networks Initiative
Christopher’s work focuses on telecommunications — helping communities ensure the networks upon which they depend, are accountable to the community. He has published several reports, articles, and interviews while also offering technical assistance to communities around the country.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Stacy Mitchell — Co-Director & Director, Independent Business Initiative
Stacy is co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its initiative to decentralize economic power and level the playing field for independent businesses. She has produced many influential reports and articles, designed local and federal policies, and collaborated to build effective coalitions and campaigns.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 David Morris — Distinguished Fellow
David Morris is co-founder of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and currently ILSR’s distinguished fellow. He writes the blog, From the Desk of David Morris. He has served as an adviser or consultant to local, state and national governments and to private businesses large and small.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Jeffrey Neal, PE — Urban & On-Site Compost Consultant, Composting for Community Initiative
Commander, Jeffrey H. Neal is a retired United States Navy Civil Corps Engineer Officer and a graduate of ILSR’s Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders (NSR) Composter Training Program program. He provides his unique skill-set and expertise in composting, and facilities and program management to organizations and businesses that are considering composting.
Full Bio – Contact |
Ny Ony Razafindrabe — GIS & Data Visualization Intern
Ny Ony Razafindrabe is a GIS and Data Visualization intern with the Community Broadband Networks initiative. She is currently completing her last semester studying International Studies, Political Science and Data Science at Macalester College. She has also worked with various initiatives on human rights and equity in her home country Madagascar.
Contact |
 Sushmita Shrestha — Communications & Policy Associate
Sushmita Shrestha is a Communications and Policy Associate with the Community Broadband Networks initiative. Her role includes researching telecom policy, implementing outreach projects, and managing communications for the Community Broadband Networks initiative.
Born and raised in Nepal, she graduated from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM with a B.A. in liberal arts. Before joining ILSR, she was an intern at a security and investigation firm in New York City and also has experience working with nonprofits in Nepal.
Contact |
 Kennedy Smith — Senior Researcher
Kennedy Smith is a Senior Researcher with ILSR’s Independent Business initiative. Kennedy is one of the nation’s foremost experts on commercial district revitalization and independent business development. Her work focuses on analyzing the factors threatening independent businesses and developing policy tools that communities can use to address these issues and build thriving, equitable local economies.
Full Bio – Contact |
 Brenda Platt — Director, Composting for Community Initiative
Brenda Platt is a recycling expert and composting advocate, and directs ILSR’s Composting for Community project.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Neil Seldman — Director, Waste to Wealth Initiative
Neil Seldman, Ph.D., co-founded the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and is Director of the Waste to Wealth Initiative. Seldman is a leading recycling and zero waste activists assisting citizen, environmental and small business organizations in stopping garbage incinerators in scores of US cities. Subsequently, he works with these cities to increase recovery of materials from the waste stream and grow the local economy by adding value to materials through local processing, manufacturing and job creation. Prior to founding ILSR Seldman was a manufacturer of consumer products and professor of political science.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts |
 Virginia Streeter — Research Associate, Composting for Community Initiative
Virginia joined the ILSR team in October 2016. She graduated from The George Washington University in 2016 with a BA in Environmental Studies. Virginia coordinates the Community Composter Coalition, organizing the 2018 and 2019 National Cultivating Community Forums and ILSR’s ongoing community composting webinar series, and facilitating the Coalition’s subcommittees. Most recently, she led the development of the Composting for Community Map.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts |
 Shaoul Sussman — Legal Fellow, Independent Business Initiative
Shaoul Sussman is a Legal Fellow at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. His research focuses on the intersection of antitrust law and big tech. Shaoul has published an academic paper and a number of articles about Amazon’s anticompetitive practices and the company’s negative influence on firms that rely on its e-commerce platform.
Full Bio – Twitter |
Nora Goldstein
Jolie Jones
Chris Lewis
Kirk Marckwald
David Morris
Roy Priest
Gina Schaefer
Neil Seldman