Concord, NH: On May 16th, Walden Mutual elected 12 new “corporators” with backgrounds spanning the food, technology, finance, non-profit, and sustainability industries. Walden lends to farms, food businesses, and other organizations focused on social and environmental impact – hence the diverse set of perspectives represented. In the mutual structure, corporators advocate for the interests of the bank’s depositors and elect the board of directors.
The newly-elected corporators include:
- Bochu Ding - Product lead at sustainable investment firm, CapShift
- Michelle Hastings - Senior Sales Manager/Team Lead at Peet’s Coffee
- Zach Hebert – Senior Manager, Community Engagement at the Vermont Foodbank and President of the Putney Foodshelf board of directors
- Holly Long – Principal Forager of Local & Emerging Brands, Northeast, North Atlantic, and Mid-Atlantic Regions at Whole Foods Market
- Ben Martens – the Executive Director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association
- Michael McNeley – Sr. Manager, Project Development at Bloom Energy, focused on carbon capture, hydrogen, and fuel cell projects
- Shawn Menard – the Executive Director at Seacoast Eat Local (a non-profit focused on connecting people with sources of locally grown foods) and President of the Concord Food Co-Op board of directors
- Heather Mojer – Director of Procurement & Owner at Big Dipper Hospitality Group (the restaurant group behind State Park, Mamaleh’s Delicatessen, and Vincent’s) and an expert in sustainable beverage programs
- Joel Moyer – the Director of Investments at the Fair Food Network (a national non-profit and investor that grows community health and wealth through food)
- Kirsten Scobie – Principal and Lead Consultant at Persimmon Consulting (a consultancy that provides tailored services to help people, foundations, and socially responsible businesses create significant, lasting change)
- Corey Scult – Vice President, Controlled Environment Foods at Equilibrium Capital
- Dorothy Suput – Principal at DSuput Consulting and Senior Fellow at the Croatan Institute, focused on strengthening and expanding the use of regenerative agriculture by providing leadership and program expertise to farm and food clients
"This group of people, combined with the leaders and innovators already serving as corporators, represents such an impressive collection of talent and expertise – combined with perfect alignment with our mission and values. We’re committed to building an institution orienting around the long-term, and not the maximization of quarterly returns. These are the types of stewards who will hold us accountable to that aspiration.”
About Walden Mutual Bank
Walden Mutual Bank is developing deeper connections between communities and their food systems, and powering the revival of local, sustainable food. They accept deposits from individuals and businesses who want to drive positive and lasting change with their dollars. They lend those funds to impact-oriented farms, food businesses, and other sustainability-focused organizations. The word “mutual” in their name means cooperative; they are governed by their depositors, funded by those with a bias towards the long-term, and engineered to endure the test of time. Building bridges is core to who Walden Mutual is, with the ultimate aim of building a more vibrant, sustainable and inclusive local food system.
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