Legal Expert. Trusted Strategic Advocate. Food Systems Changemaker

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, advancing livestock and poultry regulations. During her tenure, she secured the inclusion of all organic policy priorities in the 2014 Farm Bill.

She also advocated before the National Organic Standards Board for clearer, more consistent regulations, something she continues to do today  She successfully engaged the FDA to ensure its guidance on arsenic in rice was both scientifically sound and achievable for organic producers. In addition, Marni shepherded key federal regulations through the rulemaking process, including those governing organic livestock and poultry production. Her work at OTA 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.

As Strategic Initiatives Advisor to the Accredited Certifiers Association, she led a cross-sector push to improve consistency in organic certification, coordinating efforts among domestic and international certifiers to implement the Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule — the largest update to organic regulations in two decades. She also pioneered 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 impact the organic world, as she:

• Recently developed a USDA-endorsed Organic System Plan adopted by nearly all USDA-accredited certifiers and industry stakeholders.
• Founded and is leading the national School Food Workforce Advisory Committee to champion policies that support school food professionals and healthier, scratch-cooked meals.
• Advises national trade associations on governance reform, including ethics and bylaws.
• Guides companies through complex regulatory issues, including non-compliance and enforcement risk.
• 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 is an Adjunct Instructor in the Food Studies Program at New York University (NYU), where she teaches “Food Advocacy” and “Climate Policy and Food,” at the Master’s level. She also taught  “Foundations of Food Policy” in the Political Science Department at Tulane 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.

“As a 20+-year veteran of Capitol Hill I’ve worked with hundreds of people — few have been as enjoyable to work with as Marni Karlin. Marni not only has a deep understanding of public policy, but more importantly she is a talented strategist with an ability to develop and execute a plan to get results… Marni is a creative thinker, a fierce advocate, and consummate professional who gets the job done.”

— Chris Huckleberry, former Chief of Staff, Office of Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR)