Get In Touch With Our Teams:
- Community Broadband Networks Initiative
- Composting for Community Initiative
- Energy Democracy Initiative
- Independent Business Initiative
- Waste to Wealth Initiative
- Communications, Development, and Operations
- Executive Directors
- Board of Directors
Community Broadband Networks Initiative
Michelle Andrews — GIS and Data Visualization Researcher |
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Sean Gonsalves — Senior Reporter, Editor, and ResearcherSean Gonsalves is a a Senior Reporter, Editor, and Researcher for ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative. Sean was a longtime former reporter, columnist, and news editor with the Cape Cod Times. He is also a former nationally syndicated columnist in 22 newspapers, including the Oakland Tribune, Kansas City Star and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. His work has also appeared in the Boston Globe, USA Today, the Washington Post and the International Herald-Tribune. |
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Ry Marcattilio-McCracken — Senior ResearcherRy 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. |
![]() Christopher Mitchell — Director, Community Broadband Networks InitiativeChristopher’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 |
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Composting for Community Initiative
Linda Bilsens — Project Manager, Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders Program |
Sophia Hosain — Baltimore Project LeadSophia 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. |
Linda Knapp — Director, MACREDO ProjectLinda 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. |
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Brenda Platt — Director, Composting for Community Initiative |
Energy Democracy Initiative
Drew Birschbach — Audio EngineerDrew Birschbach is a former Energy Democracy Intern working as an audio engineer on the Local Energy Rules podcast. They are studying Professional Journalism with minors in Sustainability Studies, Information Technology and Computer Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. |
John Farrell — Co-Director of ILSR & Director, Energy Democracy InitiativeJohn 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 |
![]() Abby Hornberger — InternAbby Hornberger is an Energy Democracy Intern for the Spring Semester, 2021. She is currently pursuing a degree in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management with a minor in Sustainability Studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. |
Katie Kienbaum — Senior ResearcherKatie Kienbaum is a Senior Researcher with ILSR’s Energy Democracy initiative, where she researches and writes about equitable and decentralized clean energy and its impact on communities across the country. Before joining the Energy Democracy initiative, she was a Research Associate with the Community Broadband Networks initiative |
Maria McCoy — Research AssociateMaria McCoy is a Research Associate on the Energy Democracy initiative, where she contributes to blog posts, podcasts, video content, and interactive features. Her research focuses on how communities can transition to clean, decentralized energy systems that are both equitable and economically viable. |
Independent Business Initiative
Susan Holmberg — Senior Editor and ResearcherSusan Holmberg is Senior Editor and Researcher on the Independent Business team. She manages the program research and publications, and helps shape the strategic direction of the initiative. She writes on corporate power, small business, inequality, and systemic racism. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from UMass, Amherst, and has been published in the New York Times, Time, The Atlantic, The Nation, and Democracy Journal. |
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Ron Knox — Senior Researcher and Writer |
![]() Katy Milani — Senior Policy AdvocateKaty is the Senior Policy Advocate for ILSR’s independent business program where she works closely with coalition partners and policymakers on antimonopoly and small business policy and advocacy. Previously she was Director of Advocacy and Policy at the Roosevelt Institute where she led strategic engagement with allies, partner organizations, and elected officials on a range of corporate power policy areas, including banking reform and corporate governance. Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
Stacy Mitchell — Co-Director of ILSR & Director, Independent Business InitiativeStacy 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 |
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Kennedy Smith — Senior ResearcherKennedy 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. |
Shaoul Sussman — Legal FellowShaoul 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. |
Mary Timmel — Small Business and Consumer OrganizerMary Timmel is ILSR’s Small Business and Consumer Organizer. She supports and develops the leadership of small businesses and consumers to win policy changes that check Amazon’s outsized power and address rising corporate concentration across the economy. She brings decades of small business, social justice, and community organizing and advocacy to the role. Prior to joining ILSR, Mary worked with Girls Who Code, Missouri Jobs With Justice, and the Small Business Majority. |
Waste to Wealth Initiative
Neil Seldman — Director, Waste to Wealth InitiativeNeil 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. |
Communications, Development, and Operations
David Morris — Distinguished FellowDavid 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 |
Jordan Ashby — Communications Intern |
Jessica Del Fiacco — Communications ManagerJessica 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. |
Virgil McDill — Communications DirectorVirgil 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. |
John Bailey — Development Director |
India Gorden — Operations ManagerIndia 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. |
Executive Directors
Stacy Mitchell — Co-Director of ILSR & Director, Independent Business InitiativeStacy 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 |
John Farrell — Co-Director of ILSR & Director, Energy Democracy InitiativeJohn 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 |
Board of Directors
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![]() Andrew ReicherAndrew Reicher is Executive Director of the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, where he started in 1978 and which he has led since 1981. Over his tenure, UHAB’s base of tenant-run and tenant-owned housing cooperatives has grown from several dozen to more than 1,500 in New York City and beyond. He is the 2003 recipient of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives’ highest honor, the “Jerry Voorhis Award.” Photo credit: Carol J. Ott |
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To reach ILSR staff members not listing an address, please e-mail info@ilsr.org