Liz Shephard
CEO & FOUNDER
Liz Shephard is the CEO of LifeCity, L3C, a for-benefit company. Liz created LifeCity to help build a more equitable and sustainable economy in New Orleans, but is now bringing these tools to communities all over the country. In May of 2017, LifeCity won the SBA's state-wide Sustainable Business Champion Award and Liz was also recognized as one of the Top 50 Business Women of the year in 2015 in New Orleans (CityBusiness). Trained as both a facilitator and LEED Green associate, Liz and her company help businesses maximize both social and environmental impact while growing profits. Liz holds a B.A. in Psychology and Environmental Studies from Carleton College, where she graduated with Honors and Distinction. Outside of work, Liz plays in a band, Mid City Soul, enjoys runs on the greenway, and her spiritual practice in meditation and contemplative prayer.
Lauren Darnell
Program DIrector
Lauren A.K. Darnell is a champion of equity and inclusion, dedicated to creating healthier, more inclusive workplaces. As the former Executive Director of the Made in New Orleans Foundation, Lauren led initiatives to increase diversity and provide direct support to BIPOC professionals in hospitality. In 2023, she founded Porch & Okra Consulting, offering leadership consulting and customized professional development support to foster healthy, strong team cultures and climates across industries.
Lauren’s background is rooted in resilience and community, inspired by her Louisiana heritage and her pioneering family. Raised in New Orleans and with a background in cultural anthropology from the University of New Orleans, Lauren is a passionate traveler who has worked and lived in London and New York and explored over 18 countries.
A 2023 and 2024 James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards Judge, Lauren also serves on the New Orleans Food and Policy Advocacy Committee. Her work has earned recognition, including the Essence “Essential Heroes” Award and the Ella Brennan “Stand Up For Your Hometown” Award. Lauren is co-host of Love to Eat NOLA, with published work exploring the intersection of race, culture, and sustainability in New Orleans' restaurant scene.
Jourdan D. Bazley
Project Manager
Jourdan D. Bazley serves as the Project Manager for LifeCity to coordinate efforts to build an impactful community. She oversees campaign and partner events, the local Love Your City initiative and community engagement. In the past, she produced the first ever Love Your City podcast, where impact and economic theory are discussed and broken down to help communities better understand the power of local impact. Born in New Orleans, LA, her roots spread to Texas, where she grew up and obtained her B.S in Mass Communications and Electronic Media with a minor in Theatre from Texas State University in 2018. After serving as the Production Director for the college radio station, KTSW 89.9 she relocated from Texas to New Orleans where she worked in the film industry, in both the Production and Camera Departments on various TV shows, movies and commercials. Passionate about multimedia, Jourdan also works on various projects through her video production company, Wise World Cinema, LLC, where she continues to delve into life’s stories through documentary and short film format.
Jake Lipsman
Director of Impact Research and Analysis
Jake Lipsman tells the story of LifeCity and its clients through data-driven impact analyses. Jake’s work synthesizes leading research on impact with qualitative and quantitative data to highlight the ways in which LifeCity and its clients strive to build an economy that works for good. Jake first became engaged in environmental work in New Orleans during his undergraduate studies at Tulane University. He left New Orleans to pursue his Ph.D. specializing in environmental sociology before returning to complete his dissertation research investigating the role of local communities and local knowledge in shaping Louisiana’s coastal master plan. Jake has published articles in several academic journals challenging assumptions about our current economic system’s ability to deliver desirable and just social outcomes for economically and ecologically vulnerable groups. Jake believes strongly that building an economy around equity and environmental justice is critical to resolving our major social issues, including climate change.
Caitlin Rostampour
Sustainability Consultant
As a sustainability consultant with LifeCity, Caitlin works to build more sustainable value chains both locally and globally. She works closely with our manufacturing clients to implement sustainable business practices that support growth and longevity. Prior to her move to Louisiana, Caitlin earned a M.S. from Florida State University where she studied oceanography and social and sustainable enterprise. She is passionate about our oceans and specializes in helping businesses work to reduce their oceanic and environmental impact. With a background in science, communications, and operations, Caitlin has dedicated her career to supporting brands in their efforts to build a more sustainable future for everyone.
SanChavis Torns
Video Storyteller
SanChavis Torns is the Visual Storyteller for Life City. SanChavis holds an Associate in Entertainment Technology from Baton Rouge Community College, a Bachelors in Theater from Louisiana State University. During those studies, he gained practical experience working on various film sets in multiple roles. He also holds dual M.F.A.s in Film Production and Screenwriting from the University of New Orleans. While there, he worked for a non-profit organization called Shotgun Cinema as an Archivist, Projectionist, and Cinema Technician at different film festivals throughout the South. He would also commute back to his hometown of Baton Rouge every weekend because he loved to climb and teach at the local rock-climbing gym. When not working to tell stories, he enjoys taking them in through sports, video games, and movies. Influenced by a childhood tradition of weekly VHS viewings where his mother would ask about the message of each film, SanChavis developed a deep appreciation for storytelling and film. Now, he’s ready to grow as a professional filmmaker and help contribute positively to the community around him.
Andres Peña
Director of Operations
Andres Peña is responsible for the organization’s overall operations. With an M.B.A from the Universidad de los Andes, Andres accrued over 10 years experience managing projects and assisting young companies into operational and financial sustainability before deciding to focus on development initiatives throughout his native Colombia. Driven by developing equitable and sustainable communities worldwide, Andrés completed an M.Sc. in Development Economics and International Development from Tulane University. Today, with a career built around the idea of doing business for good, Andres is a passionate believer of merging the demands of the business world with the needs of their communities, and in New Orleans’ potential to become a hub for development initiatives on a global scale.
Emma De Leon
Community Impact Outreach Intern
Emma De Leon is a senior at Tulane University pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Communication. She is also minoring in political science and is working towards a certificate in GIS. Her passion for enhancing environmental and community health motivate her academic and extracurricular lives. Emma advocates for Tulane to divest its endowment from the fossil fuel industry and volunteers with the Food Recovery Network to donate food surplus from the campus dining hall to those in need. In Fall 2023, Emma worked with LifeCity as a Sustainability Consultant Intern and is excited to return to the team as a Community Impact Outreach Intern to work with communities in New Orleans East, the Lower Ninth Ward, and Baton Rouge East.
Elliot Risch
Outreach Intern
Elliot Risch is a senior at Tulane University majoring in Environmental Biology and minoring in Marine Biology. He is passionate about preserving biodiversity and aims to improve the ways humans interact with our natural surroundings through policy, advocacy, and accountability. In the summer of 2023, Elliot led a wilderness stewardship crew focused on preserving Colorado’s largest wilderness area. In the fall of 2023, he participated in systems development for a permaculture hotel and restaurant, using farm-to-table tourism as a tool for preservation and ecosystem regeneration. More recently, he gained hands-on experience at a high-production seed facility, becoming familiar with the barriers traditional agriculturists face in transitioning to sustainable yet profitable production. He now joins the LifeCity team as a community outreach intern, bridging the gap between businesses that care and recognition of their sustainability efforts.
Sophia Martinez
Sustainability Intern
Sophia Martinez is a senior at Tulane University pursuing a dual B.A. degree in business management and environmental studies. Being a New Orleans native coupled with growing up in an environmentally conscious family, Sophia has learned to value the harmony within her community and respect nature as our home. Integrating the community and strengthening a positive relationship between humans and the environment fuels Sophia's motivation for her studies, and excitement to join LifeCity’s team as a Sustainability Intern. In her free time, Sophia enjoys attending Tulane's meditation club and spending time with her friends and family.
Durell Barnes
Special Projects Coordinator
Born and raised in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, Durell’s commitment for the bettering of his city’s culture and communities began at Warren Easton Senior High School. Upon graduating in 2005, he evacuated while personally experiencing the economic, social, and environmental losses from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Returning to a devastated city, he studied Earth Science Education at the University of New Orleans and devoted his free time to The Academia Society, Inc. While serving in this capacity, Durell sought to uplift the spirits and hope of the people of New Orleans, by feeding those in need of shelter and partnering up with the local Habitat for Humanity to rebuild and restore neighborhoods. Today, Durell strives to make a social impact in New Orleans through mentoring and servicing those working in the hospitality industry and advocating for emergency preparedness and greener lifestyle choices. Durell is proud to utilize his powerful communications skills to connect people and businesses to sustainable resources in our community as an Account Manager at LifeCity.
