Emily Mattheisen joined McKnight as senior program officer with the Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems program in March 2025. In this role, Emily works to shape and guide the trajectory of the Foundation’s work to transform global food systems. She oversees and develops grant portfolios that support efforts to build power through transformative partnerships, aligning McKnight’s work to cultivate resilient food systems with our climate and equity goals.
Emily’s work over the past decade has centered on advocating for food sovereignty and the right to food through collaborative efforts that centralize the voices of grassroots communities and marginalized groups. Prior to joining McKnight, Emily worked at FIAN International, a global NGO dedicated to advancing the right to food. Throughout her tenure, she led efforts in monitoring the right to food and, more recently, coordinated initiatives focused on territorial food systems and social equity. Emily previously worked at the Housing and Land Rights Network as a Global Program Officer. Emily began her career as a human rights researcher based in Egypt, focusing on forced displacement, land struggles, and international advocacy with grassroots movements across various regions.
Emily holds a Master of Arts in Migration and Refugee Studies from American University in Cairo, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in World Religions and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. She currently serves on the Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council, which provides recommendations to city leaders for improving access to sustainable, locally grown foods in Minneapolis.
