Jilliann Sundberg

Jilliann served as Executive Director of Blue Watermelon Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to convening chefs, restaurateurs, and community food advocates to assist schools in rethinking relationships with food.  Under her leadership she led the organization’s strategic planning, developed a $600,000 operating budget, and established diversified funding streams including government grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donor engagement. As the organization’s inaugural Executive Director, Jilliann built systems and relationships that significantly strengthened statewide awareness and program impact.

Prior to this role, Jilliann designed and implemented professional development programs in partnership with Arizona State University and other nonprofits, expanding access to outdoor learning for more than 200 educators across the state. Their earlier work includes leadership roles with the Arizona Farm to School Network and Osborn School District, where they advanced nutrition education, sustainability initiatives, and equitable access to healthy food for thousands of students and families.

Jilliann began her career in education, teaching in Arizona as well as internationally in Mexico and Ecuador, experiences that continue to inform her community-centered and culturally responsive approach to philanthropy.

A former Teach for America corps member, Jilliann has remained deeply committed to service, collaboration, and systems-level change. She is also an active participant in statewide nonprofit and sustainability networks and has been a featured speaker at multiple conferences.