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Donna Merten is an Entrepreneur, Founder/ CEO, award-winning architectural designer, real estate developer and food systems strategist with 20 years of expertise working with public, government, universities, financial institutions and private entities to generate multiple sustainability innovations. Her stakeholder collaborations assisted in acquiring $6.5 million start-up operations equity for projects ranging $250,000 to $27 million. She created a nationally recognized environmental program for James Company which led to recycling over 1000 tons of construction debris. Merten was awarded an RFP from the Town of Lyons in 2017 for a master-planned community “Future of Food Complex” which integrates urban agriculture practices of high-volume food production. She has been a food broker and created a local food hub, the Farmstand in �鶹ӰԺ which connects community and farmers.  Merten’s visionary leadership and long-standing reputation have led to forty publications in sustainability, architectural design awards from Colorado Biz, National Association of Home Builders Built Green, Governor’s Award from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, City of Fort Collins Urban Design Award (first strawbale home within city limits) and fifty guest speaker events locally and nationally. She has a Bachelors of Architecture and Bachelors of Science in Environmental Design from Ball State University and is a candidate for a Masters of the Environment degree in Sustainable Food Systems from University of Colorado in �鶹ӰԺ.