Our Team
Stefan Wawzyniecki
2024 Volunteer of the Year
Stefan has a past that was based in the 20th century, but has re-defined himself for the 21st century. He has realized that it’s not the number of degrees one holds, or the number of books you’ve read that define the person, but it’s what makes you start each day deciding what “good” can one person accomplish for that day and for a particular person or community. For Stefan, one of those communities is LEVO, and the “good” is literally the fruits of the labor from everyone.
Christian Heiden
Founder and Director of Innovation
Christian Heiden is a recent graduate of the University of Connecticut with an B.S. in Applied and Resource Economics with a concentration in International development. Christian has experience in leadership and coordinating groups with a wide range of ages and skill sets. Self taught in hydroponic technology and design, Christian, since his Eagle Scout project in 2016, has been leading Levo’s team in the U.S. and internationally in the design and implementation of hydroponic farming and has overseen Levo’s product development and training since its start in 2016.
Ron Williams
Farming Manager
A native of St. Lucia, Ron has lived in Hartford for 1 and a half years. Before coming to the U.S., Ron worked for Ministry of Agriculture within the Government, the St. Lucian equivalent of the Department of Agriculture, where he trained farmers. Ron joined Levo as a grower and quickly demonstrated his deep knowledge and strategic value to the Levo mission. Ron oversees all our farming activities in the Greater Hartford area.
Marcy Maciolek
Operations Lead
Marcy recently retired from a career in Manufacturing Finance. In her new found free time, she gravitated towards volunteering first at CT Foodshare, then with Levo International. Levo allowed her to combine a passion for growing plants and the desire to help bring food to those in need. As Operations Lead at Levo, she is responsible for seedling and material inventory management among other responsibilities, using her skills acquired in previous Finance and Plant Grower positions. In her free time, Marcy still volunteers with CT Foodshare and enjoys hiking and biking with friends and spending time with family.
Akua Duah
Farming Assistant
Akua (A-qwee-a) graduated with a degree in web design and development from the University of Hartford. Beyond the digital realm, she finds tranquility and inspiration in the world of plants and gardening. After participating in Levo’s' training sessions over the summer, Akua developed a keen interest in implementing water-based agriculture. When not at Levo you can find her looking for her next escape room or hanging out with her dog Kingsley.
Chayla Torres
Greenhouse Manager
Layla Torres joined Levo during the Summer of 2023. Her passion to alleviate food insecurity and give back to the community helps her feel driven to fight for change. Being one of the youngest members working with Levo, she is in her final year of highschool. Layla is ready to branch out into the world and continue to help her community thrive- whether by harvesting produce, watering the seedlings, aiding volunteers, and much more!
Layla Torres
Greenhouse Manager
Layla Torres joined Levo during the Summer of 2023. Her passion to alleviate food insecurity and give back to the community helps her feel driven to fight for change. Being one of the youngest members working with Levo, she is in her final year of highschool. Layla is ready to branch out into the world and continue to help her community thrive- whether by harvesting produce, watering the seedlings, aiding volunteers, and much more!
Nathaniel Heiden
Director of Science
Nate has been coordinating science and research activities for Levo since joining Christian on his first trip to Haiti. He has been focused on research and development both domestically and internationally to improve crop health and production. He is a graduate of John Carroll University, where he studied biology and Spanish under a social justice scholarship. Nate has lived and conducted research in both Haiti and Spain, is a Fulbright Scholar and is currently completing a PhD in plant pathology at The Ohio State University.
Isabella Vega
Plant Science Technician
Isabella is passionate about applying biology research to promote social justice. Isabella graduated with a degree in Biology from Quinnipiac University in 2021, where she held a leadership role in the Students for Environmental Action group and was part of the STEM Global Solidarity Program. Isabella joined Levo after graduating and currently works on multiple research projects to optimize our hydroponic systems and coordinates seedling production for Levo.
Max Alphonse
Plant Science Technician
Max Alphonse is a lifelong community and social work activist, volunteering with non-profit organizations from childhood. He studied biology to build the skills and knowledge needed to contribute towards the many environmental and sustainability challenges around the world. Having just completed his B.S. at Central Connecticut State University, Max has joined Levo’s science team and will also be contributing to farm operations and education initiatives. When not building up community with Levo, Max is almost always reading books.
Ben Lee
Plant Science Field Coordinator
Ben Lee is currently an undergraduate at Cornell University majoring in Plant Science with a concentration in Controlled Environment Agriculture. Ben has been involved with Levo since 2017, when he became one of the co-founders of the Northwest Catholic Hydroponics Club and coincidently realized his love for plants and hydroponics. Currently the president of the Cornell Hydroponics Club and various other organizations, Ben is excited to utilize his leadership and field experience to help Levo's efforts. A critical part of the science team, Ben has been the plant science and pest & disease management coordinator for hydroponic operations across the city of Hartford.
Parker Weisel
Education Specialist
Parker Weisel is an undergraduate student at Central Connecticut State University studying Biology in Secondary Education. He joined Levo in April 2023 as their webmaster. After joining Christian at a Hydroponics class for a local high school, he decided to pursue education. Currently, he teaches local high schools in hopes of teaching Connecticut about the issue of food insecurity and how students can help. When he’s not at Levo, he’s traveling with friends or spending time with family.
Alia Te
Community Engagement Coordinator
Alia Te was born and raised in Bristol, Connecticut earning her associate's degree at Tunxis Community College. Her childhood is filled with memories of pungent, aromatic Cambodian dishes cooked with love by her parents. She also grew up volunteering in churches, food pantries and food drives. Alia has recently discovered her passion for gardening and has been on a mission ever since to pursue all opportunities that combine her love for food, people and plants. As Levo’s Community Engagement Coordinator she works closely with all of our volunteers aiming to create a safe space that fosters genuine relationships and an enjoyable experience with Levo.
Kiara Opoku
Marketing Coordinator
Kiara Opoku became a staff member in 2021 as Levo’s marketing intern. Since then she has also served as the company’s finance coordinator and most recently as Levo’'s marketing coordinator. Kiara's responsibilities include managing the organization's social media channels, creating engaging content to raise awareness about the company's efforts, and developing marketing materials to support fundraising efforts. She also works with other team members to develop innovative ideas and initiatives to advance Levo International's mission. Kiara is a current student at the University of Hartford in Barney’s 3+1 Program allowing her to pursue her bachelors and masters degree.
Andrew Howe
Strategic Development Advisor
Andrew Howe is a strategic thinker and communicator with 25 years of software sales and management experience working in the area of software analytics, cyber security and data platform solutions. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, he spent ten years with Oracle as well as time with multiple startup companies, including seven ad a half years with Splunk. In each of these roles, Andrew played leading roles in driving revenue growth, and did so through consultation with client partners representing many in the Fortune 1000. Andrew is currently a Southeast Regional Sales Manager with Anvilogic, a leader in Cyber Threat Detection and Hunting Platform and is working with the largest companies in the Southeast.
Andrew will bring his extensive strategic and relationship management experience to bear as Levo’s Strategic Development Advisor. In this capacity, he provides strategic insight and coordination of new revenue development from individuals and corporate partners. These donors and partners are critical to capital investments necessary for Levo’s continued growth.
When not building relationships for work and pleasure, Andrew is an avid runner and enjoys traveling. He and his wife Margo have two adult children and currently live in North Carolina.
Gil Augustin
Program Manager - Haiti
Gil Augustin joined Levo operations as an intern in 2019. After earning his degree in Agronomy from Universite Polyvalente D’Haiti, Gil joined Levo full-time as our Program Manager in Haiti. In that capacity Gil coordinates all “on-the-ground” activities in Haiti, including research, training, and farm operations.
Dunerose Biename
Community Manager
Dunerose is a trained agronomist and a member of the Sylvain community. She joined Levo in 2018 as an agronomist and has trained hundreds of people in Haiti in the use of simplified hydroponics. Dunerose coordinates community relations, the distribution of growing systems in our Bokit initiative and contributes to all our training and research efforts in country.
Bill Heiden
Executive Director
Bill Heiden is an entrepreneur, a social justice advocate and a political historian. He has developed a strategy for companies large and small across a range of industries including for a variety of non-profit organizations. Bill accompanied Christian on the inaugural visit to Haiti, helped to found Levo, and has served as its Executive Director since 2017. Bill helps to lead all aspects of Levo’s work and is the primary coordinator of Haiti operations from the U.S. side. When he is not working on food security problems, Bill teaches politics and American studies at the University of Hartford.