Our Core Team and Network

Estelle Carol (Co-Executive Director, DRP) is an artist and healthy food enthusiast in equal parts. She views food gardening as a creative expression of her interest in (and obsession with) wellness. She is an accomplished graphic designer and business owner (www.webtraxstudio.com) with a long history of non-profit involvement in the community. Over the 10 years that she has been passionately exploring organic food gardening, she has read extensively about soil health and is proud of the Deep Root’s Method - she is always improving it with the help of soil engineers and DRP customer feedback. Estelle enjoys researching the most economical and efficient products and the latest science-based methods for urban farmers. She continues to learn edible gardening from other gardeners, academicians, environmentalists, friends, books, videos and the internet and when she is not gardening, she still finds time to support social justice organizations. View Video Interview with Estelle. Estelle is the founder of HerStory – a non-profit dedicated to women’s issues.

Will Schreiber (Co-Executive Director, DRP) is originally from New York - but grew up in the Chicago area. Will spent most of his summers back in New York where he worked on his family’s 75-acre farm upstate. He was immersed in organic farming long before the word “organic” became fashionable. He learned the importance of nutrient rich soil, preparing it with cow compost and leaf mulch, and rotating crops from year to year. At the same time, “Big Ag” was industrializing farming across the great plains in the middle of the country, immersing the soil with toxic pesticides and fertilizers. He built his first house at the age of 20 and went on to build a controls engineering company shortly thereafter. He has spent a lifetime building things, and after many years as an entrepreneur, he met Estelle Carol.  When he discovered their common interests in soil health, personal well-being, and environmental health- he was convinced that he had found the perfect partner for launching Deep Roots Project. Will’s practical, hands-on business skills help grow the organization while Estelle’s creativity makes the educational content user-friendly and beautiful too. Will’s training as an electrical and computer engineer prepared him for his role as DRP’s product development specialist. The organization’s unique raised beds are custom designed by Will. He personally built the beds from Eastern cedar boards until 2022. Currently Deep Roots pays local carpenters to build the beds using Will's system. He transformed half of Estelle’s 4-car garage into the Deep Roots carpentry workshop and is actively searching for carpenters and talented builders to help keep up with demand!

Rafaela A. Crevoshay - aka “Rafa” (Soil Health Guru) was introduced to food gardening as a volunteer on her brother’s homesteading project in Vermont’s North East Kingdom in the transformative ’60s. Rafa’s Vermont adventure led her to obtain a degree in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. It resulted in finding a career far from New England with sojourns at mushroom farms in Oregon and California, international agri-sourcing for a west coast avocado cooperative, a leading sustainable farming certification firm in Berkeley, and ultimately with a producer of organically grown Heirloom Tomatoes in Baja California, Mexico. Along the way Rafa completed certifications in Compost Management, Turf Management, and International Agriculture. She has earned the elite Certified Crop Adviser title from the American Society of Agronomy. Raised not on a farm but in suburban Boston, her story represents the rewards of gardening as a life-long journey of discovery.

Lindsey Rauba - Customer Support & Social Media Manager. Lindsey Rauba is a realtor and artist living in Oak Park, Illinois. She became a dedicated volunteer in 2024 after testing the Deep Roots system in her own garden and seeing the difference that the quality of our growing medium makes. You can follow along on our Instagram and Facebook as she demonstrates the Deep Roots Project system in her own garden throughout the year. You can also reach out to Lindsey for help with your garden or with your purchase of DRP products by sending her a message on social media, texting our customer service number, or emailing support@deep-roots-project.com.

Lindsey is passionate about the health benefits of organic produce, as well as those of spending quality time with plants. She loves to make ceramic planters to suit the specific needs of her plants and promote their health and success. In this way, DRP compost has become an essential part of her creative process. Her favorite thing is to talk about gardening and garden planning, so don’t hesitate to reach out for a chat!

Carol Olsen - Volunteer Coordinator. Carol is a former Realtor retired after over 45 years in the industry. Today Carol is a certified yoga teacher with certifications in Yin Yoga, Prenatal/Postnatal yoga, and Yoga Therapy for Heart and Cancer Patients. Carol grew up in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago and spent her summers in the rural area of Antioch Illinois. Spending summers in a farm community she ate wonderful food grown in gardens and small farms. Carol continues to support small farmers by being a member of an Organic CSA for the last 15 years. Her belief that food is medicine led her to The Deep Roots Project. She now has a wonderful urban garden based on the Deep Roots principles, where she grows her own wonderful food.

JJ – Delivery Partner. JJ is the founder of JJ’s Dump Trailer Rental & Junk Removal LLC , a small, family-driven business that began in 2021 with one red truck and a dream. After a back injury forced him to leave his job in roofing, JJ started his own trailer rental and hauling company from scratch—no contacts, no capital, just determination. A cold call from Deep Roots Project that same year led to a strong working relationship that JJ describes as a blessing.
Since then, JJ and his trusted team have handled our compost and raised bed deliveries with reliability, care, and genuine heart. He takes pride in treating every customer with respect and positivity, saying, “If I can leave someone with a smile or make their day better, that’s what matters most.”
JJ is an integral part of the Deep Roots family. He’s also a proud father and is looking forward to growing a backyard garden with his daughter, just like his own mother did. JJ doesn't yet have a website, but his 100+ five-star Google reviews speak for themselves. He welcomes new clients and is happy to be referred to others seeking trustworthy hauling or delivery services. The Deep Roots team continuously receives positive feedback regarding JJ’s warmth, work ethic, and professionalism.

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