Our Vision
Rural Beacon Initiative’s vision is to fundamentally redesign access to and participation in the renewable energy and regenerative agricultural supply chain for rural BIPOC communities.
Our Mission
The mission of Rural Beacon Initiative is to increase ownership diversity in the supply chains of regenerative agriculture and renewable energy.
Strategic partnerships formed across community-based organizations
Community Keynotes
$ million
Dollars raised for development of Sustainability Hub at Free Union Farm
William J. Barber, III
Founder, CEO
Vanessa Barksdale
Director of Communications
Stu Dalheim
Senior Fellow, Development
Rebekah Barber
Executive Assistant
Randy Lucas
Director of Compliance
Nakisa Glover
Coordinating Consultant, Justice40
Co-director, Rural Beacon Research Institute
Michael McLean
Director of Operations
Matt Watkins
Grants Consultant
Jacquil Toon
Project Manager – Events
Hanif Omar
Chief Financial Consultant
Benjamin Barber
Director of Outreach
Toni Jones
Environmental Engineer
Celine DeCarlo
Environmental, Social, and Governance
Dr. Dana-Marie Thomas
Renewable Energy Expert
Laura Combs
Clean Energy Strategist
Cameron Oglesby
Activist and Communicator
Tatum Larsen
Activist and Communicator
Dr. Cornel West
Educator and Visionary
Zach Wolf
Farmer and Educator
Dr. David Orr
Educator and Visionary
Dr. Yolanda Banks Anderson
Educator and Author
Build something that lasts.
We work with community organizations to clarify their message, strengthen their systems, and move real projects forward.