A Note From the Board
We write to you today to announce that Linda Becker, our CEO, will leave SFMade at the end of April 2024. Ms. Becker has been an integral part of our organization for the past eight years, contributing her dedication and expertise to our mission, and we appreciate all her efforts.
During Becker’s tenure as CEO, SFMade has built a strong team that delivers essential support and resources to hundreds of local manufacturers annually. She also oversaw the launch of an updated brand and website and improved impact tracking and measuring. We are grateful for Becker’s leadership and unwavering commitment to harnessing the power of manufacturing to create pathways to economic prosperity.
After a diligent search, we are pleased to announce that we have selected an Interim CEO, Steve Sellers, who will assume the role on May 1, 2024. Steve will lead the organization while the SFMade Board of Directors launches a formal search for a new, permanent CEO.
As Interim CEO, Mr. Sellers will ensure that staff have consistent direction and that we continue to provide seamless, top-notch services to the manufacturing community.
We are excited to have Mr. Sellers on board and grateful to the dedicated SFMade staff for all the support they provide our local manufacturers, especially during this time of transition. and for their commitment to ensuring everything runs smoothly during this transition.
We understand that transitions can bring uncertainty, but our dedication to our mission remains unwavering. The Board is committed to maintaining the momentum and continuity of SFMade’s work to support local manufacturers so that they can thrive, innovate, and create good jobs for a more sustainable and inclusive Bay Area.
As we launch our search for a new CEO, we will keep our community updated as we have news to report.
Thank you for being an essential part of the SFMade community.
Sincerely,
Wenli Wang and Rosemarie Ovian
SFMade Board Co-Chairs
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Introducing Steve Sellers
Steve has worked for over 25 years in strategic and operating roles in both for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations, in the government sector, and as a consultant. For the last four years he was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Business Officer at NatureServe. Prior to that he was Chief Operating Officer at FairTrade USA, the leading third-party certifier and marketer of Fair Trade products in the United States. Steve’s consulting clients have included companies and organizations focused on environmentally sustainable manufacturing and agriculture, transparent supply chains, and investment in Black- and LatinX-owned businesses.
Steve co-founded and served as CEO of SourceTrace Systems, Inc., an enterprise software company providing secure transaction systems for critical sectors of developing economies. He founded two successful Internet companies, The Big Network (sold to eUniverse/FOX, NASDAQ:FOX), and Archetype Interactive (sold to The 3DO Company, formerly NASDAQ:THDO). He has served on several boards, including the Executive Board of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations, International (FLO) and Kyaro, a nonprofit that makes disability devices in Tanzania.
Steve grew up in Virginia and the Philippines. He received a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Stanford University, and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Before attending business school, he worked as a Foreign Service Officer for the US Department of State, with postings in Nigeria, Austria, Egypt, and Washington, DC. He speaks French and German, with a reading knowledge of Spanish.
