Rob Vessels (he/they) is a cultural organizer and co-founder of The Bread & Roses Collaborative. He is also the executive director of The Marigold Project, Nathaniel Rateliff’s foundation dedicated to economic, racial, and social justice. He began his career in the woods and Capitol Hill, leading the Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors program. Rob brings nearly a decade of experience building inclusive coalitions and grassroots initiatives to drive social change and community resilience. Rob has done the near-impossible, organizing a team responsible for a bill passed unanimously through Congress. His shift to the music industry is a welcome change, with his understanding of the power of music to heal and shift culture.

Rob believes that telling connective and collective stories is one of the most essential human activities. Authentic storytelling brings us closer together as humans; it has the power to sway public opinion and affect policy change at every level. He also believes that all people deserve universal access to healthcare, education, and the support needed to go about their lives with dignity and joy.

Rob is a working-class Texan by birth, Californian by practice, and currently calls Denver home. He has also lived overseas, from Indiana to Louisiana and, most recently, Washington, DC. His time not working is spent in nature or on long road trips with his pup, Gertrude, and partner-in-all-things, Kari. They have been known to dance in the kitchen and proudly prioritize their Big Aunt & Uncle Energy. He can guide you down a river and craft the best playlist for any journey. Rob happens to be a combat veteran who is passionately anti-militarism. Killer Mike spoke for him when he said, “I don’t study war no more; I don’t hate the poor no more; gettin’ more ain’t what’s more; only thing more is the love; so when you see me, please greet me with a heart full, and a pound and a hug.”