Jake Ifshin is an artist, facilitator, and permaculture designer.
His mission is to grow a world of balance, joy, and abundance by deepening awareness and sharing practices that support humans to tend their four gardens of health, nature, creativity and service.
As a co-founder of Engaged Ecology, he has focused on developing immersive experiences that support nature connection for a diverse set of communities. As executive director of Everybody Grows, he co-created inspiration gardens in Washington DC that brought the nourishment of home gardening to people restricted from this activity by their age, income, and mobility.
Earlier in his career Jake worked as an early childhood teacher, and was constantly reminded by his students of how wonder, collaboration, and expression are essential to what it means to be human. Jake’s music, dance, and poetry explores what divine masculinity (the opposite of toxic masculinity) looks like in our present world. He actively supports healing and community for men as one of the leaders of the Gold-Mining Men’s Group.
Jake's educational background includes a BA in Liberal Arts and an MA in Eastern Classics from St. John’s college, where he also developed a deep appreciation for the power of conversation and group inquiry.
He has earned two Permaculture Design Certificates that shifted his design mindset to a regenerative approach that works with nature. He is also passionate about physical fitness and embodiment practices. He completed a 200 hr YTT certificate from the Kula Collective and regularly meditates, dances, and runs.
Jake is grateful for these formative experiences, as well as the opportunity to continuously learn and grow from all the amazing communities and friendships in his life as he tends his own four gardens.
