Hernán Colmenero is a food systems leader, educator, and social entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to building healthier communities through innovative partnerships at the intersection of public health, sustainable agriculture, and economic development. During his graduate studies in public health—where he focused on environmental sustainability, regenerative agriculture, and youth nutrition—he became increasingly committed to addressing the structural roots of health disparities through food systems work. Those experiences led him to found the Institute for Ecology, Scholarship, and Health in 2022, where he served as Executive Director until 2024.

Hernán began his professional journey as an International Baccalaureate visual arts teacher, but his desire to spend more time outside led him to transition from the classroom to the field of a mixed vegetable farm. That work inspired his subsequent role as Director for the Child Nutrition Program at IDEA Public Schools. In that position Hernán successfully standardized and scaled a K-12 farm-to-school model where students learned how to operate a working farm and earned Junior Master Gardener certifications. During his time at IDEA, he also worked as a consultant for the National Center of Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and collaborated to scale the Soil for Water network, which connects regenerative agricultural producers across the country, from four states to all 50 states.

After completing his Master’s Degree in Public Health at UTHealth Houston in 2022, Hernán established the Institute for Ecology, Scholarship, and Health (IESH). Under his leadership, IESH co-founded a regional food systems policy council whose accomplishments include revising institutional procurement policies to increase the demand for locally grown and raised agricultural products. His team also launched an annual Food Summit, now a cornerstone learning and networking event for Texas-based growers, policymakers, funders, and food advocates. Alongside his work at IESH, he served as Farm to Institution Manager for the Sustainable Food Center, where he provided value chain coordination and matchmaking for institutions, producers, aggregators, and other support staff across Texas.

In 2024, Hernán founded Verdant Exchange, a fast-growing produce distribution company that uses an innovative brokering model to equip family farmers with the tools they need to enter wholesale institutional markets, while simplifying procurement for buyers looking to source locally.

As a USDA Kika de la Garza Fellow and Federal Food Systems Impact Fellow, Hernán works to ensure that non-profit and for-profit work are synchronized to federal policy updates to maximize impact. He currently serves as a Regional Coordinator for the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.

Hernán lives, plays, and works in the Rio Grande Valley in deep South Texas, right along the Mexican border. When he’s not working you might catch him enjoying the outdoors, strumming his guitar, or playing percussion in a local salsa band.

Mario Fierro serves as the Grant & Storytelling Strategist for the Institute for Ecology Scholarship and Health (IESH). In this role, he supports the team by identifying funding opportunities, developing proposals, and crafting narratives that highlight the Institute’s vision and impact. Mario specializes in aligning community needs with funder priorities, building strong partnerships, and developing narratives that amplify local voices.

Before joining IESH, Mario worked in higher education and community-based food systems initiatives, where he helped design conservation programs, coordinated workshops, and supported farmers and ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley. His professional focus has always been on bridging resources with the communities that need them most, with an emphasis on conservation, sustainability, and food system resilience. 

Mario holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from West Texas A&M University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. 

Outside of his professional work, Mario enjoys tending his backyard garden, journaling, and spending time with his family in Edinburg, TX. He finds joy in mentoring students and young professionals, cooking with homegrown produce, and staying connected to his community. His approach to life and work is based on the belief that planting small seeds of action today can lead to lasting change tomorrow.