OUR PEOPLE

Karen (aka "Goat Mom") oversees all programming and is a licensed social worker with over 30 years of experience. Prior to founding PGP, she was a public health consultant for agencies in both New York City and Philadelphia. She has been a leader, innovator and teacher to policy makers and clinicians around optimizing services addressing public health issues such as poverty, trauma, disabilities, immigration, addiction and mental health in underserved populations. She is a retired triathlete and mosaic artist and loves tamarind!

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Favorite goat: Ray because he loves me unconditionally and makes it easy to reciprocate. Also I love whom he is named after too!

Kelly is a licensed social worker driven by a passion for fostering community and supporting individual empowerment. She joined PGP in early 2023, following the loss of her brother, Brendan, seeking outdoor work and a sense of community. Kelly found both solace and purpose at PGP. In her role, Kelly oversees all of the therapy and wellness-related programming at the farm. She also enjoys skills training the goats and setting up fencing. Prior to PGP, Kelly was a Youth Development Volunteer in Peace Corps Ukraine and a full-time psychotherapist in Brooklyn. With a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach, Kelly loves creatively partnering with nature and animals to assist individuals in their journey of healing, learning and personal growth, with a special focus on the mind-body connection. In her free time, you can often find Kelly doing whatever hobby currently has a hold on her. 

Favorite goat: Theo. I see Brendan in him. He is tall, smart, reliable and a quiet leader. Also calculating! He can be found looking up at the trees, figuring out how to get a quick snack!

Leslie (aka ”Folxherder”) was born and raised in the neighborhood and is passionate about wellness, education and community building through nature, especially for people of color. She oversees the management of PGP’s people and goats and ensures that all of our guests have a wonderful time, no matter where we are! She is PGP’s leader in creating engaging community partnerships for programming and education across the city.  In her former life Leslie worked at various fortune 500 companies, including Ford Motor Company, Prudential Insurance and Target, she has a wealth of corporate experience ranging from interpreting data to customer service. Leslie can often be found attending theater and leading Girl Scouts when she’s not with the goats!

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Favorite goat: Kiyoshi because he's playful, fun, sweet and loving. (And Ivy because she's a boss lady like me!)

Raquel is an experienced homeschool educator inspired by her family, and fueled by the natural world around us. Raquel has been actively involved with PGP since 2019, contributing as a volunteer and participating in our internship program as both a parent and grandparent. Her dedication to serving others spans a long and impressive history. In the spring of  2023, Raquel spearheaded a gardening project to involve our interns' families in farm activities, which has since flourished into the Neighborhood Family Garden, nourished by the Philly Goat Project. 

“Through growing together and hands-on projects, our team aims to empower others to dig deep and discover their green potential. The Neighborhood Family Garden is here for everyone in the community to enjoy and cultivate together!”  ~ Raquel

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Favorite goat: Oliver’s loving nature makes him my favorite goat! He always seems to have a smile when you need it!

Mandi is an educator by profession, but instead of organizing a classroom, these days she’s organizing the scheduling and finances of PGP.  Mandi joined PGP in 2018 when her whole family began to volunteer.  Her partner, Mark, helps lead the teen internship program, and her teenage children can regularly be seen volunteering at the farm. Mandi feels strongly that people feel better if they have more opportunities to connect to the natural world.  That’s why she helps to seek out grants in order to find the financial resources so that PGP can reach more people.  Prior to PGP, Mandi taught for 15 years in the Philadelphia School District and city charter schools, volunteered for 2 years in Honduras, and traveled around the U.S. and Central America.

Favorite goat:  Holiday.  Holiday watches carefully as people interact with the goats and each other, so it’s truly a compliment if she seeks you out for snuggles and scratches.  I always try to give her a little special attention.  I also strive everyday to be a little more like Violet who enjoys life to the fullest!