I blend creative vision with years of experience in team leadership, project management, and communications strategy.
Throughout my career, I’ve helped clients and organizations achieve meaningful impact by actively listening to diverse voices, designing thoughtful ways to gather feedback, and deeply understanding key audiences. I’m passionate about crafting compelling messages and stories that inspire action, foster connection, and drive movements for change.
Based in Ann Arbor, I collaborate with teams nationwide.
Here are some recent projects that make me proud //
Organizational Rebrand for a Bold Future
At its 10-year milestone, Fair Food Network embraced a pivotal moment of transformation. Rooted in Michigan and now a national leader, the organization has reshaped nutrition incentives programming and influenced public policy to create a food system that uplifts families, farmers, and food businesses. With a mission rooted in community health, wealth, and resilience through food, I led the organization with a rebrand that reflected a celebration of past achievements and a vision for an accessible, inclusive future. I worked alongside our staff and partners at Studio Tomo to reimagine the brand identity that honored the organization's deep expertise while making its work more inviting and approachable to communities nationwide.
Elevating Community Resilience Through Food
To spotlight the changemakers in the food and agriculture system who are driving positive community resilience and impact through food, I developed a virtual speaker roundtable series. Moderated by our nonprofit's founder, each session creates a platform for these leaders to share their insights, while engaging the audience through dynamic Q&A segments. Designed as an educational resource and a thought leadership opportunity, the series has been instrumental in fostering connections, growing our email list, and identifying potential donors. By celebrating these innovators and amplifying their stories, we’ve built a learning series that inspires action and strengthens our community's commitment to food equity.
Sharing SNAP Stories Through Animation
Through a collaboration with StoryCorps and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this storytelling project brought real conversations to life through animated videos illustrated by an independent artist, showcasing how SNAP has supported individuals during pivotal moments. By centering authentic voices, the videos fostered empathy, reduced stigma, and highlighted the transformative impact of nutrition assistance programs, resonating deeply with diverse audiences.
Stories of Passion and Purpose for Community Resilience
For nonprofit Fair Food Network’s end-of-year giving campaign, I developed a strategy centered on storytelling and leadership. The campaign showcased team members from the nonprofit sharing personal reflections on why they are passionate about their work and the organization’s vision for how food can drive community health, wealth, and resilience. Through compelling videos, quotes, and social media posts, we connected donors to the heart of the mission, inspiring them to invest in a shared future. This approach not only highlighted the transformative power of food but also deepened donor engagement, driving support during a critical fundraising period.
Celebrating Healthy Futures with Double Up Food Bucks
I led the creation of a video series highlighting the impact of Double Up Food Bucks on families, featuring heartfelt conversations with parents and kids. The children shared how healthy food helps them achieve their dreams, while parents spoke about their hopes for their children’s futures. Designed to be playful and uplifting, the series celebrates the possibilities that can happen when kids have access to the nutritious food they need to fuel their potential, inspiring viewers with messages of health, hope, and opportunity.
Navigating a Founder-Led CEO Transition
Leading the communications strategy for a founder-led CEO transition was a pivotal project in my career. The organization’s new CEO, a respected leader within the organization for seven years, was entrusted to continue the founder's vision while charting a course for the future. I spearheaded a comprehensive communications plan, including public relations, digital campaigns, and events to announce and celebrate the leadership change. The campaign shared how the organization was “Meeting the Moment” as the nonprofit began a new chapter. Simultaneously, we launched a strategic fundraising campaign, leveraging the transition as a moment to inspire donor confidence and engagement. The result was a seamless transition that honored the founder’s legacy, rallied the community around the new CEO, and exceeded our fundraising goals.
Rebranding to Redefine Good Food
To mark a new chapter for the Michigan Good Food Fund, a collaborative that supports food and farm entrepreneurs with financing and business assistance, I led a brand message refresh, visual rebrand, and website launch. The rebrand elevated the theme of redefining good food, reflecting the collaborative's mission to help all Michigan food and farm businesses nourishing their communities, to grow. Drawing inspiration from landscapes across the state and the businesses involved in this work, we wove local identity into the brand’s look, feel, and messaging. Partnering closely with the collaborative's stakeholder board, we co-developed messaging that captured the collective vision and impact. The refreshed brand and website positioned the collaborative as a dynamic leader in food and farm entrepreneurship, inspiring engagement and growth.
Rebranding the Double Up Food Bucks Program
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Double Up Food Bucks program in Michigan experienced a twofold increase in usage, highlighting the critical need for people new to using food stamps to quickly and easily access information about this program that could help them bring home more healthy food. I led a year-long project to redesign the program’s brand and website to better serve participants’ needs. This included creating multilingual, user-friendly how-to videos, integrating community feedback, and redesigning the "Find a Location" page, making it easier for Michiganders to locate participating sites. We also developed an affordable, replicable website template for other Double Up programs across the country. The project not only enhanced participant experience in Michigan, but it also made an impact nationwide.
Creating a National Resource for Nutrition Incentive Programs
I led the development of a comprehensive website designed to help people across the country find nutrition incentive programs in their communities. The site features an intuitive search tool and user-friendly design, making it a go-to resource for program participants, advocates, and policymakers. Since its launch, the website has been referenced in news articles, public policy advocacy efforts, and community outreach campaigns, amplifying awareness and accessibility of these vital programs. Its success underlines the importance of clear, accessible digital tools in connecting people to resources that improve health and food security.
Driving Advocacy for the Farm Bill
I led the communications strategy for a multi-year national grassroots advocacy campaign to improve the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). Central to the campaign was the launch of a dedicated website, which served as a hub for resources and tools tailored to lobbyists and grassroots advocacy leaders. The site provided clear, accessible materials to support aligned messaging and coordinated efforts around shared priorities for the next Farm Bill. By empowering advocates with the tools they needed, the campaign successfully unified stakeholders, amplified its message, and strengthened the case for expanding and enhancing GusNIP to support equitable food access nationwide.
Essays and op-eds //
Rooted in Paradise: Oahu’s Rise as a Hub for Food Innovation and Sovereignty | Fair Food Network.
Krauss: Boost support for Double Up Food Bucks program | The Detroit News.
While food supply chains snap, a solution is on the table | The Hill’s Changing America.
Reports //
Fair Food Network 2023 Impact Report | Fair Food Network.
Fair Food Network’s 2022 Impact Report | Fair Food Network.
From Capital to Community (Copywriting and Editing) | Fair Food Network.
Recent Media Placements //
Michigan families can once again get $20-a-day match for produce purchases | Detroit Free Press.
Eating healthy made easy: The Double Up Food Bucks program could help your family get fresh food | WDMI FOX17.
Double Up Food Bucks Program doubles fresh produce for Michigan families | WEYI/Mid-Michigan Now.
Grocery stores and farmer’s markets partake in Double Up Food Bucks program | Up North Live ABC.
Michiganders and farmers benefiting from SNAP programs | WNEM CBS.
Congress tackles food stamp changes in the farm bill | NPR.
Fair Food Network CEO refocuses on Detroit | Crain’s Detroit Business.
Oran Hesterman to step down from Fair Food Network | Crain’s Detroit Business.