Taproot

Originally founded in 2019 by Susan Pavlin and Sagdrina Jalal, Taproot grew out of 20 years' combined experience of establishing and leading multiple for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the South. Our primary focus has been shifting power to communities and building sustainable food systems rooted in community, culture, and resilience. Particularly in the South, business as usual means operating within the historical legacy structures of the South that support disparities in wealth and opportunity. Taproot was created with the commitment to dismantle old ways and forge new, equitable approaches to building communities and economies. Taproot’s work focuses on leveraging organization and project success by providing services like strategic and operational planning, informed policy design and engagement, and grant writing and facilitation. At Taproot, equity is centered at the core of everything we do. We work alongside communities and engage across sectors to create more sustainable systems that work for everyone.