Brooke Rodriguez

Brooke is the Founder, Board Vice Chair, and director of Programs for GSC. She is a dedicated Táino mother residing in Munsee Lenape territory and holds other Indigenous-led or focused key roles as the Grants and Operations Manager for the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund, co-owner of Buffalo Jump NYC, a Native food catering business, and Board President of the BoriKua Taino Foundation.

Serving as the executive director of The Grinding Stone Collective for the past three years, Brooke spearheads initiatives to uplift Indigenous communities through impactful events, workshops, classes, and the development of databases for traditional ecological knowledge sharing. As a founding member of the Borikua Taino Foundation, Brooke is committed to preserving the unique cultural identity of Borikua Taíno through traditional education, land preservation, and re-indigenization. Recognized for her contributions, she was awarded a fellowship in Solve MIT’s Indigenous Communities cohort in 2022, showcasing her commitment to innovation within the Native Solver community. GSC is also a proud member of FAO’s North American Urban Indigenous Food Systems Group. With academic roots in agriculture, animal husbandry, biology, and anthropology, Brooke brings over 20 years of experience to her advocacy for Indigenous justice, education, and coalition building.