Heidi Rickels is an NGO leader in international development and community service, building networks that translate collaboration into triple-bottom-line impact. With more than 20 years in the field, she works across sectors to advance sustainability, systems change, and shared solutions at scale. A storyteller and creative bridge-builder, she leverages narrative with culture—music, sports, and the arts—as a catalyst to connect and inspire action. Her work focuses on empowering the next generation of changemakers and impact investors. She currently serves as Executive Director of Freshwater Project International and is Past President of the Rotary E-Club of WASH. Her leadership spans initiatives such as the D5450 Rotary WASH Symposium and the Westland Impact Festival VisionMakers Committee. She lives with her family in beautiful Whitefish, Montana. 

Favorite quote

"Do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9