Wanjiru Munene

she / her

INTERIM BOARD CHAIR

Wanjiru Munene (she/her) grew up farming as a child, shaping her passion for agriculture. As an immigrant farmer, mother and Kenyan community leader, she brings important cultural perspectives to agricultural development in the Midwest and the U.S.  Wanjiru sees farming as a pathway to empowerment, stability, and connection. With experience being part of group-based farming initiatives, she knows the challenges and opportunities that underresourced farmers face and the benefits of collaborative models that help communities thrive.

In addition to continuing her journey as an emerging farmer, Wanjiru works at Ramsey County as a finance and accounting professional. With her professional background in finance and accounting, she aims to help MFCC address gaps in systems and infrastructure, strengthen financial literacy within farming communities, and champion sustainable community-centered food systems.

Kaitlyn Walsh

they / she

BOARD SCRIBE

Kaitlyn Walsh (they/she)  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.

Susan Phillips

she / her

BOARD MEMBER

Susan Phillips (she/her) is an activist, educator, and facilitator with four decades of non-profit leadership experience, grounded in participatory and servant leadership. She has strategically led and expanded programs for unhoused youth in the Twin Cities and Central America, and held leadership roles in the food justice, education justice, and climate justice sectors that focused on lifting marginalized voices and transformational justice.

Susan’s work has centered anti-racism and equity and been grounded in collaborative,
community-based approaches to solving problems and promoting system change.
When not engaged in community building projects, Susan is a backyard farmer, artist, year-round cyclist, student of life, and parent of three fantastic young adults.

Matte Wilson

he / him / wicasa

BOARD MEMBER

Matte Wilson (he/him/wicasa) is a citizen of the Sicáŋğu Lak̇óta Nation and an Indigenous food sovereignty and community development leader. His work is rooted in the belief that food is more than sustenance—it is a connection to land, culture, community, health, and self-determination. Over the past decade, Matte has worked alongside Native communities and organizations to strengthen Indigenous food systems, expand community-led economic development, and build greater access to resources for Native-led solutions.

Matte currently serves as Development Director for Sicangu Co, a Native-led ecosystem working to advance the health, economic well-being, and sovereignty of the Sicáŋğu Lak̇óta Oyáte on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. His work spans philanthropy, food sovereignty, community development, housing, education, and economic development. 

As a chef and longtime advocate for Indigenous food systems, Matte is excited to bring his perspective on the connections between food, culture, land, and community power to MFCC’s work supporting farmers of color and strengthening community-centered food systems.