Principals

Dave Feldman

Dave is committed to leveraging his background and national contacts to implement and replicate, socially responsible, community development projects worldwide.  He joined Livability Project full-time in April 2007.  For five years prior, Dave was Consul, Trade & Investment at the British Embassy.  His role as head of the economic development team was to help US companies establish successful operations in the United Kingdom and support UK companies conducting business in the US.  He managed a team of eight covering multiple sectors and was directly responsible for a portfolio that included information technology and renewable energy. 

Dave draws on experience from startups and multi-national business, both in the US and abroad.  Prior to the embassy, he was VP of Sales and Marketing at a software company that developed enterprise wireless applications. He also co-founded and managed Global Growth Strategies, a team of international consultants providing strategic and market planning to the global IT industry.  

Dave holds an M.B.A. from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland in International Management and Finance.  He is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery (’06) and is currently on the Board of Sustainable Network of Washington (SB NOW).  Dave lives in North Bethesda with his wife and two kids. 

Kelley Rajala

Kelley is founder and Partner of the Livability Project. With a background in land use planning, sales, marketing and entrepreneurship, her passion is  "connecting the dots" to accelerate the local sustainability movement.   

In 2001, she started Downward Dog Yoga, a yoga studio, community gathering space and small eco-retail store in Pacifica California. Soon after, Kelley started

EcoDiesel, a local biodiesel cooperative.  Her current projects include the Sonoma County chapter of BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) and Livability Mapping.  

Prior to Livability Project, she worked for the County of Santa Barbara's, Resource Management Department - Energy Division. After several years she moved to the Comprehensive Planning Division and was the Project Manager for the County's Housing Element of the General Plan. She also worked on issues related to Transfer of Development Rights and Agricultural Land Preservation.  In 1995 Kelley helped run her family business, Rajala Rehab Products as the Marketing Director and a Territory Sales Manager. 

Kelley received a BA in Environmental Studies from U.C. Santa Barbara with an emphasis in renewable energy.