ABOUT US
DE NOSOTROS

Shelly is a mother of five, ages 10-25 years old, and lives in the Montbello community raising her beautiful babies with her husband. Shelly is an avid urban gardener, with a keen eye for channeling resources in the community to help build urban gardens across Denver food deserts. She is also, a community chef providing meals at our weekly garden meetings. She worked as a substitute teacher and volunteered many hours with CLP before becoming a team member as a bilingual urban agricultural specialist and now, Program Director. In her role, Shelly focuses on restoring urban spaces in Montbello, into beautiful gardens that produce food to share while teaching youth how to grow food and build connections to their community.

shellym@consumptionliteracy.org

Euri Mead serves as the Circular Textile Director, where she leads innovative community initiatives that advance circular clothing systems through education, collaboration, and experiential learning. Her work centers on building community-based circular clothing systems by diverting textiles from the waste stream, extending the life of clothing through skill-building, and advancing regenerative solutions through composting and emerging mycology-based innovations for textile waste. She empowers communities to rethink consumption, reduce waste, and build resilient local circular economies.

Euri is also an Instructor at Kansas State University with more than twenty years of experience in retail, merchandising, product development, entrepreneurship, and visual merchandising. Her teaching and research focus on circularity education, consumer engagement, experiential learning, and attitudes toward circular clothing practices, translating research into community-based experiences that hope to inspire action. Together with the CLP community, Euri is helping build a community-based circular fashion ecosystem through the Nearly Zero Diversion Project, CLP's Circular Clothing Experiences, and the Center for Engaged Circularity.

Justin (he/they) grew up in upstate New York on the ancestral lands of the Haudenosaunee. Spending much of his youth romping around forests and streams, Justin grew a passion for animals and ecosystems. After studying these things in college, he planted roots in Denver. Justin loves working in the garden, practicing reciprocity with the land, and learning new ways of building soil. He finds joy in sharing garden experiences with youth, and loves the community that Consumption Literacy cultivates. 

Ashley is an urban farmer who is passionate about growing fresh, culturally relevant food. Starting as a volunteer, Ashley is excited to take on the role of Urban Agriculture Specialist to engage the community and lead day-to-day gardening operations.

Zanna Ceesay is one of our Urban Agricultural Specialists, passionate about cycling carbon (yard waste), creating habitat starting with the soil, and land stewardship. She is the Executive Director, Lead Educator and Head Gardener of Living Systems Institute (LSI), and manages a team of gardeners for LSI’s Reinhabit program. 

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“I cultivate and nourish - soil, plants, children, and community, one yard at a time. Join us in this effort!” - ZC

Anahi is student in college who loves helping others and exploring hiking spots with beautiful views. She enjoys learning and spending time outdoors, combining her passion for nature with her goal to make a positive impact in our community!

​Addy studied Environmental Sociology at CSU where she developed a passion for food sovereignty and environmental justice. As Program Coordinator, she is enthusiastic about building meaningful connections to the land and the community, and continually learning from the people and ecosystems around her.

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addydolby@consumptionliteracy.org

Charlotte is a community educator and horticulture leader with over 30 years of experience in botany and gardening, including service with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. She leads community-based initiatives focused on food access, sustainability, and education. Through her leadership, Eastside Growers Collective continues to cultivate learning, connection, and community wellness through gardening.