Cornelius Blanding · Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, Executive Director

Cornelius Blanding began his career in development work as an economic development intern for the City of Miami Beach and since then has gained a broad experience base including rural, international and cooperative economic development. His experiences include business and project development, management and marketing. He has worked as a small business development & management consultant, manager of a multi-million dollar revolving loan fund, domestic and international project director, Director of Field Operations & Special Projects, Deputy Director and is now presently serving as the Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. Cornelius has also served and continues to serve on various boards and committees, including the National Cooperative Business Association, Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America, Southeast Climate Consortium and the Presbyterian Committee on the Self Development of People.

Savonala (Savi) Horne, Esq. · Land Loss Prevention Project, Executive Director

Savi Horne is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers, Land Loss Prevention Project, which was created to provide legal expertise, community education, and advocacy skills to help farmers and rural landowners facing legal, economic, and environmental challenges. Savi uses the power of the law to keep African Americans farmers in North Carolina from losing their land to indebtedness, legal challenges, and gentrification, while offering technical support for farmers to make their enterprises economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Savi sits on the boards of directors of the National Family Farm Coalition and the Rural Coalition, among others. As a state, regional and national non-governmental organization leader, she has been instrumental in addressing the needs of socially disadvantaged farmers and rural communities. Savi received her B.A. in Urban Legal Studies from City College, City University of New York, and her J.D. from Rutgers.

Trina Jackson · Grassroots International, Building Equity and Alignment for Impact Fund Director

Trina Jackson is the Building Equity and Alignment for Impact (BEAI) Fund Director for Grassroots International. In her position, she supports environmental justice social movements in the United States and Puerto Rico. In her organizing work, Trina seeks to explore the intersections of identity and the lived experience; to work for structural and institutional change; to use reflective, participatory and cultural practices for deeper connections between communities directly impacted by oppression; and to construct new narratives that bring about social transformation, cultural shifts, and radical imaginations.

Previously, Trina served at TSNE MissionWorks, directing and implementing major initiatives and response funds. One, the Inclusion Initiative, stewarded nearly $800,000 in funding over a four year period to grassroots, community-led networks within communities of color. The funds helped to develop strategies to address the racial wealth gap, including through youth organizing and environmental justice. She also developed TSNE’s Urgent Response Fund, a rapid response grants program to support organizations serving communities uniquely vulnerable to the rhetoric of the 2016 presidential election.

Trina serves on the board of directors for the Center for Story-based Strategy and Haymarket People’s Fund. She is the producer of Grown By Herself, an independent multimedia project that honors the gardening and farming traditions of black women. She has a bachelor’s degree from Goddard College, and is a Master’s Degree candidate in Public Policy at Tufts University’s Urban and Environmental Policy program. Her passions include writing, traveling, photography, and yoga. She lives and works in Boston.