Bio + Headshot

Brief Bio

Spud Marshall is an avid community builder with an obsessive curiosity to spur local innovation. From launching social ventures, to hosting community-wide potlucks, to designing immersive retreat experiences – Spud is driven by a desire to curate changemaker communities around the world; with a particular focus on small and under-appreciated towns.

Full Bio

Spud Marshall is an avid community builder with an obsessive curiosity to spur local innovation. From launching social ventures, to hosting community-wide potlucks, to designing immersive retreat experiences – Spud is driven by a desire to curate changemaker communities around the world; with a particular focus on small and under-appreciated towns.

Of his many ventures, Spud most recently founding 3 Dots – a community arts and innovation event center – where he serves as the Innovation Director. He is also the CEO and Chief Catalyst for the co.space, a 20-person residential intentional community for young changemakers aged 18-30. Under his leadership, AshokaU has listed the co.space as one of the top disruptive innovations to emerge in higher education. Prior to those efforts, Spud founded New Leaf Initiative, which currently serves as a dedicated o-working space in State College, PA and specializes in catalyzing connections between the university, local government and community members.

In addition to the ventures he runs, Spud leads Barefoot Consulting where he provides strategic support to foundations, communities, universities, and organizations interested in building innovation economies and training emerging leaders and social entrepreneurs. Through this role, he serves as the Student Engagement Director for the Sullivan Foundation, where he designs and develops programs, retreats, and scholarship opportunities for students at 70+ universities around the American Southeast. He has served as a facilitator, coach and consultant for emerging social innovations and has advised groups such as Penn State University, Teach for America, Johnson & Johnson, and The Natural Step.

He has been honored as a 2017 Knight Foundation Emerging Cities Champion, listed by Mobilize.org as one of the top millennial civic leaders in the country, and been featured as one of the ‘Foremost under 40’ Business Leaders in Central PA. Spud holds an MS in Strategic Sustainability Leadership from Blekinge Institute of Technology, an Honors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University, and currently resides in State College, PA. To view his most recent projects and ventures, please visit www.iamspud.com.