Hi, I'm Kara.

For more than fifteen years, I've advocated for food system reform, with a particular focus on healthy soil. I believe that healthy soil will be crucial to transforming the food system from a climate problem into a climate solution -- one that that not only sequesters carbon, but also protects people and ecosystems in the face of climate disaster.

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​As an independent consultant, I help organizations articulate their contribution to soil health and other natural climate solutions. I translate regenerative visions into partnerships and proposals, including five successful USDA grants, in collaboration with a wide variety of food and climate leaders. Additionally, I develop cross-sector partnerships to accelerate and scale food-related climate action. Recent clients include: the Climate Collaborative, Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network, TED Countdown, US Composting Council, and Zero Foodprint. 

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Previously, I co-founded The Perennial restaurant in 2015 to build awareness of regenerative agriculture and led the nonprofit Zero Foodprint (2018-21) through the design, launch, and iterate of its Restore grant program for healthy soil practice implementation. I have a PhD in English from the University of California, Berkeley, where I learned about strategic communication by teaching others how to write persuasively. I feel at home on the West Coast of North America, and I'm putting down roots with my family and community in Portland, Oregon.

Kara is my nickname; my birth certificate says Karen Leibowitz.