Sam Koentopp

Background

About Sam Koentopp

Big Green's Senior Director of Programs with over 15 years of expertise in designing and implementing educational initiatives that foster food literacy through school, home and community garden and grant-making programs. Focused on empowering people and organizations to cultivate skills and interests in sustainable food practices, leveraging a leadership style rooted in collaboration and creativity. Driven by a passion for food justice, environmental sustainability, and collaboration, I directed programming for the Big Green DAO (Decentralised Autonomous Organization) and local gardening and grant programs. Through the DAO, I implemented $7 MM in community-directed grant-making supporting the adoption of technology, delivery of educational and capacity-building workshops and courses and drove engagement in the programming. Applying deep partnerships, effective project management, educational excellence, and data-driven decision-making and leadership to build and resource the DAO's network of 150 grassroots food growing non-profits. Through my work at Big Green and at the Artisan Grain Collaborative, I have cultivated relationships across a huge range of stakeholders to drive food systems change. In school systems, I have coached teachers bringing garden education to their classrooms, resourced Principals establishing new food programs at their schools, collaborated with school district leaders investing in infrastructure, funding, and training to align school gardens to strategic plans, and non-profit leaders to integrate school garden strategies supporting mission-aligned outcomes. In the local agriculture sector, I have worked across the grain value chain in the Midwest with farmers, millers, bakers, brewers and distillers, wholesalers, and retailers to align and organize our work, facilitating a stronger, more diverse local grain economy. Applying my passions alongside people dedicated to a food system that supports people and the environment equally is one of my greatest joys.