Timothy Young

Timothy Young co-founded On the Ground and coordinated its three ultra-marathon fundraising expeditions — the Runs Across Ethiopia, Palestine, and Congo — which combined long-distance running with sustained, community-defined investment in the places the routes passed through.

His extensive background in travel and human relief work in the developing world shaped not only that commitment but also his day job. In 1995 he founded Food For Thought, a northern Michigan specialty food company built around wild-harvested and organic ingredients, with a stated mission of creating and raising awareness around just and sustainable food systems. The company has become one of the better-known examples of place-based food entrepreneurship in the region.

Timothy's civic and governance work spans environmental advocacy, land use, and fair trade. He has served as President of the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, Vice Chair of the Michigan Land Use Institute, and a founding board member of the Domestic Fair Trade Association — an organization created to extend fair trade principles to farmworkers and producers within the United States.

He currently serves on the board of the Northwestern Michigan College Foundation as well as On the Ground, and has been profiled in the Michigan press as a locavore and social entrepreneur.