Board Candidates

For Election


Ashley Laporte, VP of Purpose & Impact, Burton (she/her)

Ashley believes companies must play a role in solving environmental and social justice issues. She is currently the VP of Purpose & Impact at Burton, leading the teams working on sustainability and climate, justice equity diversity and inclusion (JEDI), snowboarding advocacy, and philanthropy. 

Ashley comes to this role after co-leading RALLY’s corporate practice, helping brands build impactful issue advocacy strategies. At RALLY, Ashley led projects with clients like Prose, OLLY, and Amy’s Kitchen. Ashley’s passion for business as a force for good began during her time at Seventh Generation, where she led the Integrated Marketing team. 

She was a part of the brand’s participation in the 2019 Youth Climate Strike, resulting in the company closing its office and donating its TV airtime in solidarity with the Movement. Ashley and her team led the creation of the “Believe in a Seventh Generation” campaign, which launched after the State of the Union in 2020, and received coverage in the New York Times and AdAge.

Ashley grew up in Lamoille County in Vermont, and now lives in Duxbury with her partner Luis, their son Santi. She is a proud Vermonter, a Black woman, a daughter of immigrants from Quebec and Haiti, and a snowboarder.


Eliza Leeper, Mission & Sales Operations Manager, Vermont Creamery (she/her)

Eliza Leeper’s career has been focused on mission-driven, community-oriented programs and businesses. Currently, she is Vermont Creamery’s Mission & Sales Operations Manager. A member of the VC Leadership Team, she is involved in all facets of business operations. She oversees the company’s sustainable business strategy, B Corp certification, and community initiatives. In addition, she manages customer logistics and works closely with the Vermont Creamery sales team to deliver on growth through new business development.

She is a member of the VBSR Education & Events Committee as well as the Organizing Team for the Vermont B Corp Collective.

A Vermont native, she graduated from Vassar College and started her career working in philanthropy and corporate social responsibility, before joining Vermont Creamery in 2015.

Eliza lives in Montpelier with her husband and two daughters, and enjoys outdoor adventures, gardening, and live music. She is passionate about fostering a strong sense of community and sustainability, both in her professional and personal life.


Rooney Castle, President & CEO, Rhino Foods (he/him)

Rooney has been a member of the Rhino Foods team for the past 12 years. As part of the 2nd generation of a family business, he’s had the privilege of exploring many areas of the business including spending his first year in manufacturing, the heart center of the organization. 

While a career in the family business was never the plan growing up, the more time he spent in the business the more he realized that the secret sauce of Rhino isn’t in the cookie dough, it’s in the values and culture upon which the company is built. Rhino operates on the notion that companies are well positioned, and therefore, have an obligation to create innovative solutions that drive positive social change. 

Leading with a human centered approach, Rhino has a long history of living into its purpose of impacting the manner in which business is done. As the current President & CEO, Rooney’s focus is on maintaining and enhancing the culture that has been established by “Rhinos” past and present. He recognizes the privilege that has afforded him this position and is deeply committed to, first, examining that privilege, and second, using the associated power and influence to dismantle cultures and systems that promote injustice and suppress humanity.

For Re-Election

Learn more about each of these candidates here.

  • Anore Horton, Executive Director, Hunger Free Vermont (she/her)
  • Dana Kaplan, Executive Director, Outright Vermont (he/him)
  • John Kim, Graduate Programs Career Advisor, University of Vermont Grossman School of Business (he/him)
  • Kate Ogden, Head of Advocacy and Movement Building, Seventh Generation (she/her)
  • Mara Neufeld Rivera, Head of People and Culture, Chroma Technology Corp (she/her)
  • Mickey Wiles, Founder, Working Fields (he/him)
  • Rob Miller, President & COO, EastRise Credit Union (he/him)
  • Sas Stewart, Founder, Adventure Dinner (she/her)
  • Sascha Mayer, Chief Experience Officer & Co-Founder, Mamava (she/her)