Kel Moody
BOARD CHAIR
Pronouns: they/them
Current Position: B Corp Consultant with Cultivating Capital and Network Architect for Salmon Nation
About Kel: Kel Moody (they/them) is a community steward and placemaker. They have a passion for convening communities and leading teams to create meaningful experiences through events and programs. They have worked in and around the B Corp community, using business as a force for good, since 2016 as a woodworker, project manager, and consultant. Kel deeply believes that developing a strong sense of place is one of the most meaningful pathways to purpose. They are the Director of the Festival of What Works, a unique, days-long, celebration of community-led approaches to living well in place here in the bioregion of Salmon Nation. They currently live in the traditional territory of the Cowlitz and Chinook tribes or what is colonially called Vancouver, WA, with their wife and toddler, taking moments to retreat to the forest as often as possible.
Favorite moment from the B Corp Community: The authenticity of the people. People really show up, and they show up as their true selves. It is rare to see that in a business community, and I think that speaks volumes to the work we are all trying to accomplish.
Best Book You Read in 2020: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I have a weird thing against odd numbers (although I was born in an odd number year and date). Every time I adjust the volume on something or change a numbered setting, it has to be even. I will do everything I can to avoid choosing odd numbered options. I have no explanation for it and no memory of when it started, but it has been a thing for me for as long as I can't remember. I just don't trust them...
Robin Wang
GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE
Pronouns: he/him
Current Position: Principal, Vibrant Future LLC / CFO Selections.
About you: I am a former business owner and non profit executive director who now helps mission- and purpose-driven organizations with their finances and impact capital needs with an emphasis on climate justice.
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: The community and collaboration.
Best book you read in 2020: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I am an avid gardener and am (very) slowly transforming my backyard into a food forest.
Minna Yoo
MEMBERSHIP & ONBOARDING
Pronouns: she/her
Current Position: CEO, Love Bottle
About Minna: I love to be in nature. Being near water calms my soul and hiking through our forests energizes my spirit. I love the PNW for all of its incredible beauty and love to be with my family exploring and enjoying it all.
My favorite thing about the B Corp Community: The people! They are open-minded and passionate about what they can do to make this world a better place.
Favorite Book I read in 2021: Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah (even better in audio listening to him do all the accents and voices)
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I went to Burning man for 10 years (before kids) and threw desert parties with my husband and friends for years. Dancing in the desert is pretty magical.
Ryan Buchanan
B CORP COMMUNICATIONS
Pronouns: he/him
Current Position: CEO of Thesis, Co-founder of Emerging Leaders
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: Strong values that I'm very aligned with.
Best Book You Read in 2020: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I'm a prankster
Cassandra Furlong
CONNECTIONS (B BASH AND B/DAY OF SERVICE)
Pronouns: She/Her
Current Position: Program Manager for Northwest Permanente
About you: I constantly have to be reading something. I love being outdoors (preferably at the coast), the Portland Thorns, and trying new local restaurants.
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: How welcoming it can be to new members, and how innovative it can be
Best book you read in 2020: I’m obsessed with cookbooks, I have a large collection, so probably Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley’s Falastin
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I didn’t learn to ride a bike until I was 30 because I was terrified, but then loved it.
Sarah Holdeman
SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING
Pronouns: she/her
Current Position: Impact Strategist/Co-Founder - The Impact Collective
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: My favorite thing about the B Corp community is how it allows such a wide variety of people from different industries to unite under one purpose: creating positive impact in their communities.
Best Book You Read in 2020: Three Dark Crowns Series by Kendare Blake
One thing people probably don’t know about you: My claim to fame is: when I was 8 years old, I was chosen to sing with Kenny Rogers on his Christmas concert tour after being "discovered" while performing in a musical based on the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Rose Lavelle
CERTIFICATIONS
Pronouns: she/her
Current Position: Community Coordinator (Virtual Events & B Local), B Lab U.S. & Canada
About Rose: Rose Lavelle entered into the B Corp community in 2016 and led the certification and sustainability efforts at Scout Books where she worked for 10 years. She joined the B Local PDX board in late 2018 as the Learning Chair where she plans the monthly B Learning events. She started consulting with B Lab U.S. & Canada in late 2020 and working in virtual events and supporting the B Local Program. She has a bachelor’s in Geology from Portland State University. She enjoys gardening in her east Portland yard.
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: It's always amazing to attend B Corp events. From connecting with other companies, meeting new people, hearing from local business and community leaders- I always learn new things! There's a sense of community and sharing of information and practices. Those opportunities provide inspiration for my continued participation in the movement.
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I built a bamboo bicycle and rode it across the United States for a project called Alabamboo Make & Ride. Since 2009, I've enjoyed bike touring and camping each summer around the U.S.
Renee Loveland
EDUCATION & LEARNING
Pronouns: she/her
Current Position: Director of ESG at The Green Cities Company
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: The ability to recognize we don’t have all of the answers but to continue learning and growing, and seeing the power of this community committed to a future that works for all.
Best Book You Read in 2020: Professional interest: The Big Pivot, Andrew Winston, as part of my Executive Masters in Sustainability Leadership program. Personal interest: the last book in the Outlander series (and the newest one was just released!)
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I am a huge Dave Matthews Band fan and can be found at the Gorge Amphitheater for the campout and shows each “Labor Dave” weekend. Excited that as of last year, we now have a camper which makes the experience even better!
Anna Madill
MEMBER AT LARGE
Pronouns: she/her
Current Position: CEO of Avenue
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: I appreciate the positivity, collaboration and support that I’ve experienced within the B Corp community since Avenue became a B Corp back in 2017. B Local PDX is a safe space to share openly and vulnerably and to learn from the experiences of others. Also, BLD PNW!
Best Book You Read in 2021: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini. I’ve also loved his other two novels, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.
One thing people probably don’t know about you: My middle name, Bohwa, is Korean and means “precious treasure.” It was given to me by Korean family friends when I arrived in the US after adoption.
Kate Dixon
MEMBER AT LARGE
Pronouns: she/her
Current Position: Principal & Founder, Dixon Consulting
About Kate: My favorite thing is spending time with my adult kids and seeing the impact they’re making on the world.
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: Sharing a foundation of values with others in the B Corp Community. We can get to the truly important stuff quickly.
Best Book You Read in 2022: The List of Sh*t That Made Me a Feminist, by Farida D.
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I put myself through grad school working as a radio deejay.
Kati Reardon
MEMBER AT LARGE
Pronouns: she/her
Current Position: Currently Consulting and other things. On my search!
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: Challenging business to take action on Doing Good and Doing Well.
Best Book You Read in 2021: Island of the Sea Women
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I consult regenerative ranchers and I was a vegetarian for 15 years. .
Tia Sherry
ABC GROUPS
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Current Position: Director of Development, Urban League of Portland
About Tia: A native, born and raised in Guam, hospitality, generosity, and community are at the core of my being. So it is no surprise that I was drawn to the B Corp movement because it’s about taking care of one another and our world. After working 15 years in the for-profit banking industry, I crossed over to the non-profit world and work to care for others and our world. Full circle!
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: We may come from different parts of the B Corp movement, but we all show up with the very same goals to use business for a force of good. We don’t just talk it, we walk it and there is something very transformative experiencing change with other community members.
Best book you read in 2020: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
One thing people probably don’t know about you: I love putting together charcuterie boards! I enjoy the artistry of them, the challenge of finding the right balance of salt and sweet, soft and firm cheeses, color, texture, small offerings that add the wow factor and then surrendering to the delight of my guests upon feasting.
Wes Griffin
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Pronouns: he/him
About Wes: I may have roots in the South, but I’m a PNW transplant for all the right reasons. After growing up in North Carolina and spending a decade leading Habitat for Humanity ReStores between New Orleans and Pensacola, my wife and I were drawn to Portland by the mountains, trees, and progressive attitudes (the food scene didn’t hurt either). I am passionate about developing teams around shared values and so excited to help build an ecosystem of collective impact with this dynamic board and business community.
Favorite thing about the B Corp Community: Your ideas and your enthusiasm! I marvel at both the creativity and energy you bring to bear on today’s biggest challenges. Also, even for someone accustomed to “southern hospitality,” I find B Corp people to be especially warm and welcoming… All the better to grow this movement!
Best book you read in 2022: For fiction, it’s Bewilderment, the beautiful sequel to Richard Powers’ epic The Overstory. For nonfiction, I can’t offer enough for praise for How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell.
One thing people probably don’t know about you: In 2014, I came to Portland for a Habitat for Humanity conference. It was my first time in Oregon, and my girlfriend of just a few months came along for a weekend of exploring. We stayed at a tiny house in the shadow of Mt Tabor and found the city completely beautiful and charming, joking that ‘we could totally live here’ … In 2018, we invited friends and family to celebrate our wedding in SE Portland. The universe graciously gave us a sunny and warm second weekend of October. And in 2021, we moved from Houston, Texas, landing just a few blocks from where we stayed that very first weekend. Moral of the story: this place is special!