Nikki Heidepriem
Nikki has more than 40 years of experience in politics, law, public policy, and government. She founded two public policy consulting businesses where she represented technology, insurance, finance and pharmaceutical companies; universities, colleges, foundations, and other nonprofit institutions; and numerous advocacy groups, including the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the Alliance for Justice, Planned Parenthood, the National Women’s Health Network and NARAL.
Heidepriem’s work has included designing and implementing political and legislative strategies at the state and federal levels, creating relationships with opinion leaders in the non-profit and advocacy community, and developing and managing advocacy campaigns.
A veteran of numerous Democratic campaigns, including presidential primary and general elections, Heidepriem was the Director of Communications for Barbara Mikulski’s successful Senate bid in 1986.
Originally from South Dakota, Heidepriem earned a BA from Macalester College and a JD from New York University Law School where she was a Root-Tilden Scholar and Managing Editor of the Annual Survey of American Law.
Robert Guenther
Robert is the Senior Vice President of Public Policy for United Fresh Produce Association headquartered in Washington, DC, where over the last 19 years he has led the government and public affairs staff in representing the fresh fruit and vegetable industry before Congress, the Administration, regulatory agencies and the media. Prior to United Fresh, Robert’s worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years as a Legislative Aide and Policy Director focusing on agriculture, environment, trade, water, and food policy. He also spent a year in the Office of Pesticide Programs at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Highly regarded for his bipartisan approach and strategic advocacy initiatives, Robert has testified before Congress on several important issues including trade, small business, and agriculture related programs. In addition, Robert was instrumental in the formation the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance in 2006, which is the leading coalition representing specialty crop producers across the country during the past three Farm Bills. Robert has also been appointed to numerous positions, including the Board of Directors of the North American Dispute Resolution Corporation, the Minor Crop Farm Alliance, and the National Council of Agriculture Employers. In addition, he serves on the USDA Agriculture Policy Advisory Committee on Trade for Fruits and Vegetables and a former member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the Food and Drug Policy Forum.
Robert is a former collegiate swimmer earning All-American honors and was Capitan of the 1987 University of Maryland Men’s Swim team. He is also an avid runner having run 6 marathons and numerous half-marathons since 2010.
With a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Bachelor’s degree in Government, both from the University of Maryland, Robert has been interviewed by CNN and C-Span and has been quoted in major media publications including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NY Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, and U.S. News and World Report.
Esther Ndichu
Esther is the VP of Social Impact and International Community Relations for UPS Foundation. Previously, she served as UPS Managing Director for Southern and Eastern Africa, based in Johannesburg. One of UPS’ global leaders on humanitarian supply chain issues, she provided the early inspiration for W4G with her TED Talk “Hunger Isn’t a Food Issue, It’s a Logistics Issue.”
Her career at UPS has included responsibility for air network planning, industrial engineering, and revenue management. For multiple international disasters, Esther has been responsible for UPS Foundation’s humanitarian response, managing solutions, operations, and external partnerships. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Esther earned a BA in International Relations from the College of Wooster in Ohio, and an MBA from the American Intercontinental University in Atlanta. She speaks English, Swahili, and French.