STAFF
As co-founder of Foodshed Capital, Michael oversees the day-to-day operations as Executive Director. Under his leadership, the organization grew from a local Slow Money program with a few hundred dollars in donations, to a multi-state nonprofit with more than $2 million in capital raised within the first three years. Michael also led Foodshed Capital toward certification as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in 2020. Michael has developed strong relationships with dozens of farmers around the region and has been directly involved in making more than 70 micro-loans since 2019. His current work sees him expanding our lending capacity through innovative financing models with mission-aligned organizations.
Michael began his career in banking and later honed his financial skills as a 15-year executive in the broadcast television business. He founded an initiative called Foodwaze, a program to help consumers identify the best sources of sustainable/regenerative food at restaurants, markets, and farms. He is on the board of several food and agriculture organizations, serving as Treasurer of the Virginia Farmers Market Association; board member of the Virginia Association for Biological Farming; and advisory board member for the Mid-Atlantic Food Resilience & Access Coalition (MAFRAC). He also serves on the planning team for the Charlottesville Food Justice Network and on the "Financing the Transition Working Group," a subset of membership organization Funders for Regenerative Agriculture (FORA).
Michael earned an undergraduate degree at Yale University and a graduate degree at Columbia University. He lives in Charlottesville with his wife and has four teenage and young-adult children.