How we work.

Eric Cárdenas is LOACOM’s Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. After spending years working in both the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, Eric joined long-time friend and confidant David Fortson as part of the LOA team in 2011, becoming Chief Operations Officer and partner to LoaTree, Inc. Together, Eric and Dave co-founded LOACOM in 2012, where he continued to serve as COO until 2021.

Eric’s areas of interest and special focus include food and agriculture, philanthropy for social change, campaigns/movement-building, and strategic planning and facilitation. He is currently most passionate about addressing the climate crisis through an intersectional approach that leverages business, racial justice and equity, philanthropy, strategic communications, and organizing. Some of his past work and volunteer experience include time with the Ag Innovations Network, Orfalea Foundations, Environmental Defense Center, and Roots of Change, among others. He is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara with degrees in Political Science and Environmental Studies and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Johnson Ohana Foundation and the Fund for Santa Barbara.

Eric and his family (Michelle and Río) can frequently be found at the beach, scampering up creekbeds, listening to music, or chasing each other around local parks.

Elizabeth Davidson (she/her) has expertise in design, strategy, cause-based campaigns, website ideation and development, social media management, and more. Spanning across many industries, her work has supported environmental organizations, education programs, small businesses, state legislature, and national nonprofit organizations.

She grew up on California’s central coast and currently lives in Spain where she’s improving her Spanish and soaking up the sun. Offline, you’ll find her dancing or drumming up a conversation with just about anyone (oh, and she will never turn down a game of Pass the Pigs).

Alyssa Pace (she/her) is a writer, designer, and project manager with an affinity for regenerative agriculture, food justice, and coastal ecosystems. As a Berkeley native and UC Santa Barbara graduate with degrees in Environmental Studies and Multimedia Writing, the intersection between community, nature, and equity has been central to Alyssa’s professional and personal life, and she strives to bring this holistic perspective into all that she does. Through her work with LOA, she has brought to life the visions of a multitude of clients, from product companies and technology startups to political organizations and local nonprofits.

Outside of work, you can find Alyssa teaching and taking yoga classes, exploring nature up and down the coast, or planning her next travel adventure.

Shanna Bellingham (she/her) is a strategic and data-driven communication and marketing professional with a dynamic range of expertise across industries and mediums. Her background includes media and radio broadcasting, writing and storytelling, branding and promotional marketing, social media management, public relations, and more. She holds a B.S. in Communications and a double M.S. in Environmental Policy and Sustainability. 

Always passionate about environmental impact and conservation, Shanna actively volunteers in her local community for sustainability and wildlife causes. She spends her free time at the gym, reading, exploring the outdoors, spoiling her animals, and being the cool aunt to her nieces and nephews.

Aaron is LOACOM’s web development guru. His constant love for graphic and web design lead him to pursue what he loves best. He combines his creativity with helping people and companies turn their ideas and visions into reality.

After exploring careers and lifestyles from San Jose to Hawaii and Illinois to Texas, he is now married with two beautiful daughters and has settled his roots into Santa Barbara’s rich soils. He will continue to do what he loves so much – building friendships and enjoying laughter and life to their fullest as he solidifies his career in anything and everything design oriented.

Alana Powell (she/her) is a Jackie of all trades specializing in writing, design, social media, and email marketing for better world brands. She graduated from UCSB with a degree in Environmental Studies and Sociology where she further developed her passions for feminism and environmental justice. Her work explores regenerative agriculture, reproductive healthcare, racial justice as well as community management for the local nonprofit sector.

Outside of work, Alana loves dancing, cooking meals with friends, and making jewelry for her small business.

David Fortson is LOACOM’s Strategic Advisor and co-founder. Believing business is one of the most powerful tools for making a better world, and seeing tremendous opportunities to expand the power and influence of the nonprofit sector, David founded LoaTree and later co-founded LOACOM in hopes of mashing up the best assets of the private and nonprofit sectors.

David’s areas of interest and focus include business development, digital ecosystem development, blockchain for a better world, and movement strategy. At the end of 2021, David launched LOA Labs – a network growth company for ‘better world’ blockchains. LOA Labs is working at the heart of Regenerative Finance (#ReFi) and is working with projects around the globe at the intersection of impact and crypto.