Chuck is the co-founder and board chair of Stray Dog Institute and Stray Dog Capital. Through Stray Dog Capital, he leads mission-driven investments that accelerate the shift toward a more humane and sustainable food system. He also serves on the board of Gathered Foods Corporation and is a board observer at BlueNalu, two companies pioneering alternatives to animal-based food.
Chuck and his wife, Jennifer, are benefactors and board members of Kansas Pet Advocates and co-founded The Quinn Foundation, a private foundation focused on animals, people, and the environment. They also founded Ringo’s Fund, which provides the facilities for Great Plains SPCA, a life-saving animal shelter, where Chuck serves as board chair.
A lifelong advocate for animals, Chuck is board chair of Humane World for Animals and a board member of the Humane World Action Fund.
He is also actively involved in the insurance industry and serves as CEO of Companion Protect, which builds and administers custom pet wellness and insurance solutions. He continues to serve as vice chair at Asurion, a global leader in technology protection and support services.
Jennifer is the co-founder vice chair of Stray Dog Institute and Stray Dog Capital. Stray Dog Capital leads mission-driven investments that accelerate the shift towards a more humane and sustainable food system. She is also on the non-profit board of Humane Society International.
Jennifer and her husband, Chuck, are benefactors and board members of Kansas Pet Advocates and co-founded The Quinn Foundation,a private foundation focused on animals, people, and the environment. They also founded Ringo’s Fund, which provides the facilities for Great Plains SPCA, a life-saving animal shelter.
Jennifer is deeply committed to veganism and building the movement for food systems transformation.
As Executive Director, Tom oversees Stray Dog Institute’s grantmaking, research, and collaborations. Tom began his career in philanthropy service ten years ago when he founded a social venture to help donors and nonprofits make the best use of charitable giving. The venture sponsored donor-advised funds, provided investment advisory services, and developed a software platform to reduce the cost of donating, raising, and investing funds. The affiliated 501(c)(3) now operates as the Blackbaud Giving Fund, which granted $266 million to more than 100,000 nonprofits in 2020. Before philanthropy service, Tom founded and led a boutique research and consulting firm with offices in Washington, DC, London, Shanghai, and Tel Aviv. The firm specialized in foresight and its application to strategy and innovation primarily for Fortune 500 companies, including many in food and agriculture.
As Stray Dog Institute’s Philanthropy Director, Lauren develops and executes Stray Dog Institute’s food system-related grantmaking, activities, and strategy. Lauren brings an academic and professional background in food systems and environmental studies to her work. Previously, Lauren worked for the Yale Sustainable Food Program as a Senior Advisor, Farm Manager, and Volunteer Coordinator, leading community engagement in food systems learning. Lauren’s work is motivated by a deep care for people, animals, and the environment and a lifelong interest in the interconnections between people and the natural world.
As Research Director for Stray Dog Institute, Laura identifies research objectives, produces research publications, and manages research collaborations. Before joining Stray Dog, Laura supported food system sustainability and meat reduction campaigns around the world at Greenpeace International. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley with a focus on political ecology of food systems. Throughout her career, Laura has used participatory social science research to reveal untold stories and elevate sustainability and justice narratives in food and farming. Laura is passionate about healing our food system to bring about a kind, green, and equitable future.
