Erik Endacott
MPS Class of 2025, Global Development
- Pronouns: He/him
- Grand challenge: Improving food security and financial independence for subsistence farmers
- Where he considers home: Fallon, Nevada, USA
- Connect: eae63 [at] cornell.edu (Email) | YouTube
Erik Endacott, a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) candidate in Global Development at Cornell University, received his Bachelor's in Agronomy from Iowa State University in 2018. In 2019 he served in Peace Corps Senegal as an agricultural extension agent. In 2022 he organized a Rotary district grant to fund the Green Sahel Project in Senegal. The Green Sahel Project consisted of working with a local Senegalese NGO to build a 37 acre community farm in a town called Fonde Elimane in addition to a tree nursery. The goals of the project were to give the people of Fonde Elimane a way to supplement their income and nutrition by growing vegetables. Sustainable farming practices were taught and fruit trees were distributed to thousands of families in northern Senegal to do the same thing on a smaller level. After fundraising for the project, Erik spent 6 months in Senegal to manage the project with the local leadership.
In between these times Erik has worked for several companies including Tesla and the NRCS. Additionally, he has traveled to various countries in Africa and Asia to integrate into subsistence farming villages and learn their way of life and to gain a deeper understanding of their issues and struggles. He made a lot of friends in these places and his time with them has deepened his passion for helping rural communities.