As the daughter of an agricultural economist/author and a graphic designer, Jade thrives in the space where food, analytics, and a well-delivered design collide. Since 2004, Jade has covered the food system working locally in regenerative agriculture, farm wholesale, the natural foods industry, micro-distribution, food policy, sales, marketing, and most of the spaces in between.

Jade holds a BA in Food Systems, with a dual minor in Environmental Policy and Entrepreneurship, and a Master’s in Public Administration. She most recently had the great pleasure of providing communications for the Nooksack Indian Tribe, whose ancestral lands we work and live on today. One big thing: Make the world a better place. Every. Single. Day.

Growing up as a global nomad, Shruti's had an interest in mission-driven organizations. While in grad school, the clean label movement sparked Shruti's curiosity to study the shift in purchase behavior as consumers demand cleaner and transparent ingredients without compromising on quality and nutritional benefits. Through this, Shruti soon found her way to the Non-GMO Project.

In her role, Shruti is looking forward to leveraging digital best practices to help drive key marketing objectives. As a digital marketer, Shruti thrives working in a cross-functional environment and wearing different hats.

Aside from work, Shruti enjoys taking strolls, being outdoors, and exploring local coffee shops.

Growing up in the hills and forests of upstate NY I had a love for the outdoors from a young age.  Curiosity, and a need to see more of the world brought me to the Pacific Northwest and lovely Bellingham.  A lifelong snow lover, I was blown away by the mountains and spent the next decade at Mt. Baker Ski area working on my goggle tan.  I studied Environmental Policy at Western Washington University eager to join the effort to preserve the fragile ecosystems that have brought me so much joy.  I look forward to this opportunity to work with like minded people and serve our global community.

Born in the Puget Sound to a family of Scandinavian fishermen and foodies, James has an inherent, deep-seated passion for all things food and the land that provides it. At the surface, his educational path has led him to explore other avenues, from a BSc. in Finance from BI University in Oslo to an MSc. in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Nevertheless, his professional and personal experiences have remained rooted in the food space, and he
has naturally sought ways to intersect these experiences with his educational pursuits.

Before joining the Non-GMO Project, James worked with an Oslo-based restaurant chain developed in collaboration with a global charity organization to create a “buy one, give one” model addressing food insecurity among school-aged children in Africa. In this role, James crafted marketing programs to scale the company’s social and environmental impact and educate local populations about the role consumer choice plays in the ecological and social facets of the food system.

After many years abroad, James made his way back to the Pacific Northwest to join the Non-GMO Project. His work at the Project encompasses program refinement and expansion while simultaneously integrating pathways to broaden and deepen the Project’s impact on people and the planet.

In his spare time, you can find James cooking, pickling, baking bread, sewing, plucking his Appalachian Lap dulcimer, or exploring the wet and wonderful woods of the Northwest.

Sam is very excited to join the Non-GMO Project as part of the business development team.

Sam grew up on a small farm in the Pacific Northwest where he had a direct connection to the food that he ate. This sparked his interest in food systems, which only continued to grow as he spent more time working in agriculture. Sam recently graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Business and Marketing. He wants to utilize his skills in sales and marketing coupled with his passion for food systems to improve transparency for consumers.

When not at work, Sam enjoys being active outdoors. This includes things like snowboarding, mountaineering, and surfing. When not spending time outdoors, he keeps himself busy by sewing and making art.

With an academic background in English and a deep appreciation for the natural world, Marlo is passionate about using written language as a tool for truth-saying and advocacy for environmental causes and the natural world. Marlo believes that language and the arts can be used as tools to repair humanity’s relationship with the natural world, and that the natural world can inspire language and the arts: a symbiotic relationship she sees as central to what it means to be human. She came to the Non-GMO Project after years of working for various federal land management jurisdictions, and likes to spend her time walking in the woods, reading, making music, foraging, and cooking.

I have always had an inherent passion for food, community, and sustainability. I grew up in southwest Washington, where I spent most of my summers swimming in my grandparents’ pool and picking fresh veggies and berries from their abundant gardens. This passion was nurtured during the time I spent as a server at various restaurants in Washington and Oregon, where I was able to cultivate robust communication skills and gain more insight into how food was being sourced, prepared and delivered to consumers.

This eventually led me back to school to pursue my ultimate goal, which is to provide a creative space for community members to learn, share, play, collaborate and educate. I graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor’s in Business & Sustainability as well as a concentration in energy studies. Through my education, I collaborated on many student-led projects, one being Project ZeNETH, which started the groundwork for the first zero net energy tiny home on Western’s campus.

My husband Owen and I share two kiddos, a cat, and dog. Our family loves to go outside to play in the garden, float on paddle boards, and run on the endless trails here in the PNW. When we cannot go outside, we bake! 

As a Client Experience Associate at the Non-GMO project, I am excited to strengthen my ability to build relationships with the greater community as well as share the passion of knowing what is in our food, and where it comes from.

Brittany O'Brien won a logo design contest for a bank in the 4th grade.

Since then (and after receiving her BFA in graphic design and advertising), Brittany has worked with an impressive number of clients in a wide range of industries. In her 15 years of post-collegiate experience, she has helped launch many startup brands as well as guiding established clients. She has landed coverage in print and broadcast outlets around the northwest and beyond, including King 5, Bellingham Alive, Apartment Therapy, and Martha Stewart.

Brittany is the Non-GMO Project Chief Executive of Marketing & Communications. She's a problem solver, relationship builder, super collaborator, and strategic thinker. Brittany's favorite aspect of design work is bringing people and brands together through visual communications that help businesses grow, cultivates connections, and builds trust. It is with great excitement that Brittany joins the Non-GMO Project in designing a future where consumers can make informed choices.

Karoline is excited to bring her experience teaching and love of communication and research to the Non-GMO Project to promote education and food transparency.

After receiving her M.A. in English from Western Washington University, Karoline applied her
education as an editor for pedagogy and writing journals and a teacher of English and creative writing. Before coming to the Non-GMO Project, she was a teacher and program coordinator in Madrid, Spain.

Outside of work, Karoline enjoys being outside in the Pacific Northwest and visiting museums, and she continues to publish research and writing.