About Us
The Community Innovation Lab is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to helping communities bring their ideas to life. We work alongside residents, local organizations, and leaders to identify what matters most, design practical solutions, and build the capacity needed to make those solutions last.
Our mission is to strengthen community resilience by elevating local voices, supporting collaborative problem-solving, and creating pathways to resources and funding. Whether a community is launching a new initiative, reimagining public spaces, improving access to services, or building environmental and economic resilience, we offer education, facilitation, and hands-on support grounded in local priorities.
We believe that strong communities grow from people, place, and connection. Our role is to help communities organize their strengths, try new ideas with confidence, and build the relationships and tools that make meaningful change possible.
Bustling downtown Manistee, MI
Who we are
Teri Garstka and Meaghan Barnes Kennedy started Community Innovation Lab in 2025 after years of working together across community, government, and nonprofit projects. They saw that lots of communities have powerful ideas. Too often, those ideas get stuck because people don’t have the time, tools, or connections to bring them to life.
As a 501c3 based in Manistee, Michigan, we serve smaller communities and towns across the country. With a large network of local, state, and national collaborators, we can mobilize what you need, when you need it. We talk the talk and walk the walk of building relationships and getting things done.
Tauneel Mian, Board President
Tauneel is a data and IT strategist with a mind for solving technical problems by focusing on the people-side. She has served on non-profit boards and brings her commitment to diversity and local action to everything that she does. She splits her time with loved ones in multiple places and is a newcomer to Manistee, MI. Smart, generous, and strong.
Teri Garstka, PhD. Executive Director
Teri is a problem-solver, researcher, and systems thinker. She’s spent years building tools that help communities measure what’s working and connect services across health, education, and family support systems. She knows how to navigate complex data, policy, and tech—without losing sight of what really matters: people and impact. Creative pragmatist with Midwestern values.
Jill Elmers, Board Treasurer
Jill is an engineer and organic farmer. She owns and operates Moon on the Meadow farm in Lawrence KS. She has spent decades supporting her local food systems, founding a long-term sustainable local farm, and providing non-profit board leadership and fiscal services. Jill knows what it takes to run a business, apply for grants, manage budgets, and do community-centered work that matters. She also spends time at her Manistee, MI retreat. Kind, committed, and practical.
Meaghan Kennedy, MPH Innovation Officer
Meaghan is a connector and a creative force. She founded Orange Sparkle Ball, an innovation studio that helps groups take bold ideas and turn them into action. She brings experience from public health, design, and business and has a knack for helping people think differently and get moving.
Meet Our Board!
Suzanne Davis, Board Secretary
Suzanne directs strategy and service delivery by leading teams with thoughtful coordination. Based in Houston, she excels at managing multiple streams of work and keeping complex systems moving in the same direction. She is adept at making things happen and she brings that skill to caring for family and friends. She is a newcomer to Manistee, MI. Capable, supportive, and thoughtful.
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!