Heather hails from Los Angeles, CA is Co-founder and is Executive Director of IKP. As a botanist and chemist, she has worked in pharmaceutical and agricultural R&D labs elucidating plant genetics. Working towards a Masters in Crop Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and an MS in Plant Breeding at University of California Davis, her long term goal is to establish participatory plant breeding programs that incorporate wild-type varieties and local TK. She is specifically interested in engaging women and youth in the collection, characterization, and selective breeding of local germplasms to achieve food security. She is a trainer/teacher in organic agriculture, HIV/AIDS, health and nutrition, and appropriate technology. Her objective is to empower her Tanzanian counterparts in project development and implementation, to provide training in the components of Food Security Interventions, biodiversity and traditional knowledge documentation, photojournalism, information technology, social networking, and grant writing.