Marni Karlin is a seasoned policy strategist, legal advisor, and advocate with over two decades of experience advancing bold, systemic change across food, agriculture, and sustainability. She brings a rare mix of regulatory fluency, legal expertise, and creative thinking to her work — helping mission-driven companies, nonprofits, and coalitions navigate complexity and drive real impact.
Marni began her career practicing antitrust and commercial litigation in Washington, D.C., and later served as counsel to Senator Herb Kohl on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she shepherded bipartisan legislation on antitrust and unlawful tobacco trafficking into law.
She then moved to the Organic Trade Association, where she led federal advocacy as Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel, securing major wins including the inclusion of all organic priorities in the 2014 Farm Bill. Her work at OTA in support of sound and sensible regulations cemented her reputation as a trusted, forward-thinking leader in organic food and farming.
Marni went on to serve as Senior Advisor for Organic and Emerging Markets at the USDA, where she advised the Secretary of Agriculture and helped launch the $300 million Organic Transition Initiative — supporting farmers with technical assistance, conservation tools, and market development. And as Strategic Initiatives Advisor to the Accredited Certifiers Association, she leads a cross-sector push to improve consistency in organic certification, and is pioneering new, risk-based models of compliance verification to modernize regulatory oversight.
An entrepreneur at heart, Marni built the CEA Alliance from the ground up, scaling membership sixfold, launching national food safety standards, and building cross-sector partnerships. She also led strategic expansion efforts as Managing Director of The Cookbook Project, focused on food and nutrition education.
Today, her work continues to support a healthier food system, as she:
- Leads the national School Food Workforce Advisory Committee to champion policies that support school food professionals and healthier, scratch-cooked meals.
- Guides companies through complex regulatory issues, including serving as a mediator in compliance disputes.
- Designed best practices for remote inspections to ensure compliance continuity during COVID and future disruptions.
Marni is known for her strategic insight, collaborative spirit, and ability to connect the dots between policy, people, and systems — always with an eye toward building a stronger, more resilient food system.
A graduate of The George Washington University (B.A., International Economics) and the University of Chicago Law School (J.D., with honors), Marni also holds a Culinary Arts diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris — a nod to her belief that food is both personal and political. Marni has taught food systems courses at Tulane University, Loyola University (New Orleans), and New York University. She serves on the boards of Oregon Tilth and Jewish Farmer Network, and is a member of the National Council of Jewish Women and Les Dames d’Escoffier International.