Walter Abrego

(él/he/him/his)
Director

In addition to serving on the Coleman Foundation Board, Walter is a Program Officer for Builders Initiative, an impact platform that offers versatile philanthropic and investment tools to people and organizations building a more humane and healthy planet. Walter is a systems thinker working to transform the food system to center on the well-being of farmed animals. His work drives toward a world where consumers are encouraged and able to make choices that are good for animals, the environment, and their own communities.

Walter brings a depth of philanthropic expertise having also served as a Program and Grants Associate at the McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program. While there, he helped the foundation identify and fund regionally-based research projects in Africa and South America. 

A Salvadoran immigrant and son of two former meatpacking workers, Walter earned joint bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Spanish from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Texas Tech University. In his free time, he enjoys biking, cooking, camping, and organizing. Walter lives in the West side of Chicago with his dog Remi.