Leadership
Board of Directors
Derek Anderson, Vice Chair
Derek Anderson is Founder, Owner, and Managing Member of Final Touch Detail, a business he started in 1981. A lifelong resident of Seattle, Derek is beloved for his commitment to his clients, staff, and community (and his dogs). He wants to see Seattle’s young entrepreneurs thrive and we are thrilled to have him on our Advisory Board.
Denise Brown, Treasurer
Ms. Brown is Controller, Molly Moon’s Handmade Ice Cream. She handles all things Finance and HR related, including payroll, budget and data analysis to help ensure the business runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. She also helps manage Molly Moon’s generous benefits – health insurance, life insurance, transportation subsidies and the 401K plan.
Erin Andrews, Director, CarrotLabs
Erin is the Founder and CEO of indi chocolate. She started in finance as a senior manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers, and later pivoted to the chocolate business after taking her kids to Belize to see cacao beans growing on trees. Her work has ranged from the cocoa farm to body care to chocolate products as she has grown her business.
Jeff Lindstrom
Jeff Lindstrom is Senior Strategist, Intentional Futures. He creates customer personas and journeys, and marketing campaign strategies, tactics, and analysis that achieve programmatic and organizational goals. He was previously the Program Director at the Accelerator YMCA, managing 4 social service programs. Jeff volunteers with multiple nonprofits supporting and empowering youth.
Shelley Maly
Ms. Maly handles all sales and marketing for her family’s CA-based winery and brands, BARRA of Mendocino / Girasole Vineyards. Based in Seattle, she oversees distributor relationships across 25 states and Canada, as well as heading up all DTC and marketing communication activities. She is also a Court Appointed Special Advocate® (CASA) and guardian ad litem (GAL) who volunteers to advocate on behalf of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
Tony Wilson
Tony is not only the owner of Papa Tony’s Hot Sauce, but he also has a passion for community work and philanthropy.
David Sheon, Founder, Board Chair
Mr. Sheon has advised entrepreneurs of privilege on marketing communications strategy for over 30 years. He applies his knowledge to advise Carrot participants.
Advisory Committee
James Bernard, CEO & Co-Founder, Global Impact Collective
James Bernard co-founded and is CEO of the Global Impact Collective, a boutique consultancy focused on bringing human-centered approaches to food systems transformation, working with global brands, foundations, and nonprofits. James brings more than 30 years of experience leading organizations in a range of sectors and industries, including 15 years at Microsoft, where he led a global education partnerships team. He’s a recognized expert on cross-sector collaborations and has developed dozens of successful and sustainable partnerships between companies, social sector organizations, and the public sector. He lives in Seattle.
Nora Capron
Nora is a CPA specializing in not for profit audit and accounting. She works at Clark Nuber, the region’s leading non-profit auditor, providing guidance to enable accurate financial reporting and supporting strategic decision making. She’s passionate about mentoring young professionals and is excited to bring those skills to Carrot.
Ted Evans, Jr.
Ted is an outreach coordinator for Community Passageways, a Seattle nonprofit dedicated to eliminating youth incarceration.
Ruzeda Fields
Ruzeda Antoinette Fields is a Full-Stack Developer, technology educator, community outreach advocate, and Founder & CEO of Pretty Secure, a technology education company dedicated to making computer science accessible through fashion, culture, and creative learning. With a background spanning software engineering, cybersecurity, networking, public speaking, fashion, and the arts, Ruzeda brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to leadership and innovation. She is passionate about expanding access to technology, empowering underrepresented communities, and showing that technical excellence and creativity can—and should—coexist.
Nicole Hagans-Samateh
Nicole Hagans -Samateh is the Co Founder and CEO of Cravings Fresh Bakeries in The Gambia, a social enterprise dedicated to strengthening communities through food access, workforce development, and economic opportunity. She leads strategic growth, business operations, and expansion initiatives that create jobs and support entrepreneurship in underserved regions. Nicole also serves as Program Manager for Employment Services at PROVAIL, where she oversees programs that help adults with disabilities achieve meaningful employment and greater independence. Through inclusive leadership, community partnerships, and innovative workforce strategies, she advances equitable opportunities while fostering sustainable impact across diverse communities and industries.
Jawan Harris
Born and raised in South Seattle, Jawan Harris founded King’s Dream Business Consulting in 2020 to combat the gentrification and displacement reshaping the city’s struggling minority-owned business districts — bringing an activist’s approach to business management, backed by a background in Armed Forces logistics, a decade of multi-location market and territory sales management, and a degree in retail management from American Military University. King’s Dream has since served 400+ small businesses directly, with government agencies pursuing economic development among its largest buyers, all in service of Jawan’s ethos: to advance micro-economies by arming oppressed groups with financial freedom — the freedom to create jobs, launch social programs, build generational wealth, preserve cultural identity, and live a life of dignity.
Leslie Horton
Leslie has worked within the King County social services continuum of care since 2002; she specializes in serving youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and justice systems involvement. Since 2005, Leslie has focused on providing workforce development services for youth and young adults, supporting them to move their lives forward through employment and training. Currently, Leslie works at the Port of Seattle as a Workforce Development Program Manager & Data Analyst, where she supports the development of career pathways in the aviation industry and strives to connect those who have been structurally excluded from these jobs. In her personal life, Leslie is a mixed media artist and runs her own small business.
Alina Garcia Sandhu
Alina has a deep background in strategy consulting. Her clients include some of the largest organizations in the CPG, Manufacturing, and Oil and Gas sectors. Additionally, she has served as Chief of Staff and Head of Customer Experience Operations for startups, leading large-scale operational and process improvements post-merger. Alina’s breadth of experience affords her a unique leadership perspective from advising clients to adopt disruptive technologies to commercializing and bringing them to market. She is passionate about ensuring youth can succeed no matter where generations before them have come from. Alina believes our youth should be able to compete with those of privilege and dedicates her time to support organizations aiming to level the playing field through access to resources and support.
Staff
Vincent Magat-Dominguez, Instructor
Raised in a low-income household, Vince first discovered his interest in business through participation in DECA entrepreneurship competitions. Graduating from prestigious Babson College he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Entrepreneurship & Information Technology. He also holds an Associate’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Highline College. VInce values giving back to his community by taking the business lessons he’s learned and passing it on to others so that they too can achieve their dreams. Vince advises and helps grow his wife’s event makeup and art business businesses. He also serves as the Chairperson of Community Resources & Research with the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest. Vince is the Founder and CEO of BizCulture LLC.