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Curt Ellis
FoodCorps CEO
Professional Background
Curt Ellis is a dedicated leader in the fight for food justice and educational equity, currently serving as the co-founder and CEO of FoodCorps, a national nonprofit organization committed to empowering students through the transformative power of food. Under Curt's leadership, FoodCorps partners with schools and communities to cultivate an environment where every child can thrive, emphasizing the importance of health, education, and a sense of belonging. His work is particularly focused on advancing racial justice, recognizing that systemic change is essential in the predominantly white social enterprise and nonprofit sectors.
Before establishing FoodCorps, Curt played a pivotal role in reshaping the public conversation surrounding agricultural policies. As co-creator of the acclaimed Peabody Award-winning documentary "King Corn," he successfully highlighted the complexities of the American food system, advocating for a redefinition of the Farm Bill as a critical component of food policy. Through his films and public speaking, Curt has fostered awareness and action around food issues that affect millions of Americans.
In addition to his role at FoodCorps, Curt has been recognized for his impactful contributions to social entrepreneurship and community service. His involvement with various boards and committees demonstrates his commitment to collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing the lives of underserved populations and advocating for systemic changes that promote equity.
Education and Achievements
Curt Ellis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale University, a foundation that has undoubtedly influenced his understanding of the social constructs surrounding food and justice. His educational journey also included attendance at The Mountain School of Milton Academy, where he cultivated an early passion for community engagement and service.
Throughout his career, Curt has received numerous accolades, marking him as a distinguished figure in the realm of social change. He is a proud recipient of the prestigious Heinz Award, which acknowledges his exemplary contributions to social justice. Additionally, he has earned the Pearl Award and the GQ Leader Award, further solidifying his reputation as a leader and innovator. Curt has been recognized as a Draper Richards Kaplan Fellow, a testament to his commitment to advancing social enterprise, and has also been honored as a Claneil Foundation Emerging Leader and a Kellogg Food and Community Fellow. His selection as a New Profit Social Entrepreneur and an Emerson Collective Dial Fellow reflects his ongoing influence and dedication to fostering transformative change in communities across the nation.
Board Membership and Community Engagement
Curt Ellis's leadership extends beyond FoodCorps. He serves on the steering committee of Voices for National Service, advocating for the importance of civic engagement and volunteerism in building a stronger, more cohesive society. Additionally, he holds a position on the Board of Directors for both Springboard Collaborative and GreenWave, where he actively participates in initiatives aimed at enhancing educational opportunities and promoting sustainable food systems.
Curt’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through not only in his current endeavors but also in his previous roles. As co-founder and film producer at Wicked Delicate Films and co-producer at Mosaic Films, he applied his creative talents to inform and engage audiences on significant social issues surrounding food and agriculture.
Notable Achievements
- Co-founder and CEO of FoodCorps: Leading national nonprofit efforts to promote food justice and educational equity.
- Peabody Award winner for co-creating "King Corn", a documentary that reshaped public discourse around food policy.
- Recognized as a Draper Richards Kaplan Fellow, exhibiting significant impact in the social entrepreneur space.
- Recipient of the Heinz Award, Pearl Award, and GQ Leader Award for his contributions to social change.
- Engagement in various leadership roles, including positions on the Board of Directors for Springboard Collaborative and GreenWave.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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