With over a decade of experience in finance and strategy, Ben’s core competencies lie in optimizing financial planning and analysis. At the Non-GMO Project, his mission is to advance financial practices and analysis that support the organization’s dedication to safe, healthy, non-GMO food.
Ben’s career includes experience with mission-driven CPG brands as well as experience as a founder of a low-waste organic grocery concept. Ben thrives when professional skills align with impact and is passionate about improvements in the food system.
On a personal note, he grew up in the Ozarks Mountains in Arkansas, where fly fishing and camping forged a deep appreciation for nature. Ben moved to San Diego in 2009 and now spends a lot of his free time surfing, gardening, and restoring native habitat.
Rachel has always cared deeply about food, equity, sustainability, and the intersections between them. Throughout her career, she has worked with people experiencing homelessness, migrants, and refugees, and continues to be passionate about community advocacy and activism. Her experience has shown her first hand how food is a human rights issue which everyone deserves dignified access to.
Rachel spent most of her life in Colorado, and as a newbie to the Pacific Northwest, is excited to explore the beautiful outdoors. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, hiking, camping, reading, cooking, yoga, and hanging out with her cat.
Brogan is proud to be part of the Standards & Verification team at the Non-GMO Project. Her passion for food and its role in the health of people and the planet is what drives her belief in the Project’s mission.
Her love of nature began in her grandmother’s garden and in the green woods of Norfolk, Connecticut. With a background in administrative support and data management, Brogan brings organization and strategic thinking to her work.
Brogan is a writer and artist. An avid reader, she views each day as an opportunity to learn more. She resides in the Hudson Valley with her husband and their beloved cat Penelope.
Jocelin was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is excited to be the first east-coast employee
with the Non- GMO Project Team!
Jocelin earned a BS in Environmental Studies and Policy from Florida State University.
Throughout her time at the university she became passionate about ecology and the impact
others had on the environment. Her previous work with environmental and health based
community organizations fired her passion for nonprofit work and enlightened her interest in
sustainable education. Her family is from Nicaragua where she hopes to visit soon. In her free
time she enjoys being outdoors hiking, kayaking, or visiting parks. When she’s not outside she
enjoys spending time with family and friends sewing, cooking, or reading.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Claire has always been fond of the outdoors, and curious about our diverse ecosystems. She gained a passion for sustainability while attending Western Washington University and later took a focus in food systems after working on organic farms and in produce sales.
Aiming to know more about creating change in our food systems, she completed a Master’s in Food and Agriculture Law and Policy at Vermont Law School, and furthered her experience in sustainable farming while serving with AmeriCorps. Her passion for sustainability and food system transparency brought her to the Non-GMO Project, where she’s excited to contribute to the Standards and Verification team.
Outside of the office you can find her hiking, biking, exploring new recipes, and curling up with her two cats.
During her teenage years Alissa began interacting with the concepts of food systems, justice, and planetary and human health via disruptor documentaries of the day such as Food Inc., Forks Over Knives, Super Size Me, and of course, a host of Michael Pollan literature. She was startled to find that she was never taught about these issues in her conventional school education. This awakening led to a holistic lifestyle shift at the time—much to the dismay of her midwestern family. That shift stuck and over the years has morphed into a full-blown passion for conscious consumerism, slow-process goods, awareness, transparency, and advocacy that informs everything about how she lives her life.
After graduating college with a degree in Visual Journalism and gaining career experience via a host of community-based marketing jobs, she was ready to take a deeper dive into the food justice and transparency issues that inspired her from the start. She was thrilled to have found a fitting position at the Non-GMO Project.
When not at work, you can find Alissa perusing local farmers markets, curled up with a coffee and a book, or off exploring with her dog, Willow.
Originally from the North coast of California, Oryx has been in Bellingham since 2010, drawn to the area by family connections. In previous roles Oryx has had the opportunity to balance the practical and the philosophical, and the fascinating and often unexpected overlap between them. This love of duality and intersection is what drew Oryx to Human Resources.
Coming from a family of activists, artists, authors, and regenerative farmers, the Non-GMO Project has been a household name for Oryx since its beginning during her teen years. The opportunity to become part of the Project was one that she couldn’t pass up! Outside of work, Oryx is an oil painter, knitter, and general homebody who loves nothing more than to be with her husband and baby, and their ridiculous dog.