SPEAKER AND CONSULTANT
How people keep growing when conditions turn against them.
Nate Looney brings the patience of a farmer and the discipline of a soldier to every stage. He speaks on antisemitism, identity, and how people hold their ground when the world pushes back.
Army veteran, Iraq 2008 | Hurricane Katrina responder | Former Director of Community Safety and Belonging, Jewish Federations of North America | Founder, Westside Urban Gardens | Spoke before LA City Council on civil rights | 2026 JQ Trailblazer Award
Speaking
Nate speaks from inside the issues he talks about. He has led national work on antisemitism, community safety, and belonging. And he has lived what it means to navigate antisemitism, racism, transphobia, and homophobia, sometimes all in the same room.
Talk topics:
1. Growing when conditions turn against you. Real stories from the Army, disaster response, and building from scratch about what hard decisions cost and why the next move is still yours.
2. Antisemitism and community safety. What it actually takes to protect a community and keep people showing up.
3. Intersectional identity and belonging. Navigating antisemitism, racism, transphobia, and homophobia, and building places where people don't have to leave part of themselves at the door.
What audiences take home:
1. A way to keep moving without waiting for perfect conditions
2. Permission to close what's done and plant something new
3. Stories from the Army, disaster response, and building from scratch that stick after the event
Who books Nate:
1. Corporate leadership offsites and sales kickoffs
2. Veteran employee resource groups and military transition programs
3. First responder and law enforcement associations
4. Professional associations and industry conferences
5. Universities, student veteran groups, and athletics
6. Men's groups and wellness communities
7. Jewish federations, synagogues, and Jewish organizations
8. LGBTQ+ organizations and Pride events
9. Civil rights and human relations organizations
Consulting
Nate spent four years as Director of Community Safety and Belonging at Jewish Federations of North America. He built national programs from zero, led LGBTQ+ engagement research, and ran four major projects at the same time. Now he does that work as an independent consultant.
1. Belonging and engagement
Find out where people feel they belong in your organization and where they don't. You get engagement data you can act on and a plan leadership can measure.
2. Safety and crisis readiness
Plans, protocols, and training for when things go wrong. Built by someone who responded to Hurricane Katrina and led community safety work at a national level.
3. Program design and launch
Take a program from idea to launch: strategy, budget, partner and leadership outreach, and a handoff plan so it keeps running after launch.
About Nate
Nate Looney enlisted in the Army at 18. As a Military Police soldier, he responded to Hurricane Katrina and deployed to Iraq in 2008.
A fifth generation farmer, Nate went on to build Westside Urban Gardens, an urban agriculture business in Los Angeles. He built it, tended it, harvested what it gave him, and closed it on purpose when it had done its work.
He then spent four years as Director of Community Safety and Belonging at Jewish Federations of North America, building national programs on antisemitism response, safety, and LGBTQ+ engagement. He is a graduate of American Jewish University and a 2026 JQ Trailblazer Award recipient.
Today he speaks and consults through Nate Grows on antisemitism, identity, and how people and teams keep growing when conditions turn against them. He lives in Los Angeles.
For event planners
Short bio for programs and intros:
Nate Looney enlisted in the Army at 18 and served as a Military Police soldier, responding to Hurricane Katrina and deploying to Iraq in 2008. He went on to lead national community safety and belonging work at Jewish Federations of North America. Today he speaks and consults on antisemitism, identity, and how people and teams keep growing when conditions are hard.
Book Nate
Fees and availability on request. Based in Los Angeles and available to travel.
Or email nate@natelooney.com