Cassie Masedo

she / they

BOARD CHAIR

Having grown up in rural Minnesota as a biracial curly girl informed my values and the directions of my work and organizing. I’m eager to support more folks of color in rural Midwest to create more connections and support towards what matters most to them. We need farmers of color and the land needs us! I’m a growing professional with a wealth of experience in the nonprofit sector, community engagement, policy and program development and project management. I have experience in a range of workspaces and working with populations of people. With my educational background and experience, I’m eager to use my leadership and the interconnected disciplines towards individual and collective justice & transformation. I frequently engage in a variety of learning opportunities, so you can count on me to bring new perspectives and ideas to the table while I critically evaluate and strategize toward the next action. I believe my ability to weave my passions, skills and experiences towards creating safe work cultures while practicing the world I want to live in, brings abundance & determination to every room.

Kaitlyn Walsh

she / they

BOARD SCRIBE

Kaitlyn Walsh is passionate about ancestral seeds and the people who steward them. Currently, she works with Fond du Lac's Agricultural Division and as the Upper Midwest Indigenous Seed Keepers Network Coordinator at Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, supporting tribal food sovereignty programs and the growing seed sovereignty movement. Kaitlyn is Anishinaabe, a direct descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and loves to grow and share corn, beans, squash, tobacco, and flowers.

Kristine Piasecki

she / her

BOARD TREASURER

Kristine Piasecki (she/her) is a visionary finance and strategy leader, artist, and community advocate rooted in Indigenous values and transformative justice. As the founder of Piasecki Solutions, she works alongside nonprofits and Native-led organizations to decolonize financial systems, build sustainability, and foster culturally grounded financial literacy.

A seasoned finance director and circle leader within worker-led and values-driven collectives like Justice Funders and the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO), Kristine brings clarity and care to every budget, campaign, and training she touches. Her approach interweaves spreadsheets with storytelling, data with dignity, and strategic plans with soul.

Kristine is also a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores themes of renewal, reclamation, and ancestral memory; most recently through beading and creative writing. Whether she’s designing shared cost frameworks, facilitating youth workshops, or preparing a seasonal mailing for the equinox, Kristine leads with radical accountability, cultural insight, and a deep love for collective liberation.

Miah Ulysse

she / her

BOARD MEMBER

Miah Ulysse (mee-yah you-liss-ee | she/her) is a fierce justice advocate, facilitator, strategist, and community connector with roots in Minnesota and Haiti. She is passionate about creating more just systems through policy, collective resistance, and food. Miah has worked with nonprofits, cooperatives, and government agencies locally and nationally to develop and deliver innovative programming. She has advanced local, state, and federal food policy efforts - including lobbying for a $1.2 million appropriation and establishment of the Urban Agriculture Grant Program by the Minnesota Legislature, one of the first urban agriculture-specific state-funded grant programs in the country.

Miah is the Principal + Founder of Rūted Solutions, a consulting firm that offers policy strategy, facilitation, and program development services to clients in the food and agricultural sector who would like a fresh approach to their work. She is also the Vice President of Strategy & Impact at the Project on Government Oversight, an independent watchdog organization that investigates and advocates against corruption and abuse of power.