Michelle Moskowitz Brown

Michelle Moskowitz Brown Rob Hardin | Columbus CEO

About: Brown joined food education and advocacy group Local Matters in 2011 where she focuses on supporting unmet needs and increasing equitable education and access to healthy, delicious foods. The nonprofit supports diverse populations in neighborhoods across Central Ohio. The work takes place in partnership with schools, hospitals, recovery centers, churches and pharmacies. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in dance anthropology from Antioch College and she studied urban planning at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

Outside of work: Brown chairs the Ohio Food Policy Network, a statewide coalition dedicated to developing a food system that supports and serves all Ohioans. She also is a member of the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Board. Brown also volunteers to do food runs with the Columbus chapter of Food Rescue US to deliver leftover food from restaurants and distributors to organizations serving neighbors facing food insecurity. She lives in Columbus with her husband and two children and they co-parent a dog, Angus, with her mother.

What does Columbus need to thrive? There needs to be more communication within and across sectors; we need more of a relationship between City of Columbus departments, and we need to ensure there are stakeholders from public and private sectors in the city processes. Most importantly, we must make major investments to ensure all Columbus residents have access to affordable food and housing.

Brown’s idea: I would like for my peers and I to invest in building an ad campaign that supports the development and ongoing operations of Black-owned businesses in Columbus. A diverse Future 50 class will have a wealth of information and networks through which we can build a campaign and develop a pipeline for Black entrepreneurs to cultivate capital and connections. Investing in Black business means investing in Columbus.