Gabe Biber on Nonprofit Leadership, Local Food, and the Power of Place | Mission Control

Welcome back to Mission Control, the podcast spotlighting nonprofit movers and shakers making a real difference in their neighborhoods. In this episode, Paul Schmidt sits down with longtime friend and executive director Gabe Biber, who now leads the Fenner Nature Conservancy in Lansing. With a career rooted in nonprofit service, Gabe brings a fresh perspective shaped by years in urban farming, homelessness services, and now nature education.

Gabe's listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at Gabe's journey—from restaurant kitchens to Lansing's urban farms, leading Haven House, and now guiding Fenner. The conversation is personal, insightful, and honest, digging into the challenges and wins of leadership, collaboration, and purpose-driven work.

Gabe Biber

• Executive Director, Fenner Nature Conservancy

• Background in urban farming, food security, and homelessness advocacy

• Fun Fact: Enjoys grilling, open mic poetry, and playing trumpet, piano, and guitar

Paul Schmidt guides a candid conversation about nonprofit leadership through the lens of Gabe Biber's story. Gabe reflects on how his early experiences in kitchens and urban agriculture shaped his views on food, place, and community, eventually leading to work with the Greater Lansing Food Bank. He shares how managing farms and connecting refugee families with land laid the groundwork for deeper service.

Gabe then discusses his pivot into homelessness work at Haven House, where he encountered both the rewards and challenges of direct service. He opens up about the difficulty nonprofits face when collaboration is needed, but philosophies clash. From inter-organizational tension to mission alignment, the episode explores the reality of building bridges under pressure.

As executive director, first at Haven House, now at Fenner, Gabe describes stepping into leadership with both humility and curiosity. He shares insights on managing a team, balancing day-to-day logistics with visionary thinking, and how Fenner's programs—especially nature-based early education—are meeting growing community needs.

• There's no single path to nonprofit leadership—diverse experiences matter

• Collaboration is vital but challenging; progress requires patience and honest communication

• Leadership means stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing growth

• Sustainability in service starts with what's sustainable for you

• Places like Fenner meet a real need, connecting people to nature and each other

Loved this episode of Mission Control? Please share it with a friend, sign up for updates, or better yet, wander over to Fenner Nature Center and say hello to Gabe in person. Got a guest suggestion or question? Drop Paul a line at [email protected]. Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform and leave a review to help others discover stories that inspire action—one garden, one idea, one walk in nature at a time.