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About Us

Producing sustainable agriculture that supports long-lasting ministry

Cultivate Global is a registered 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. We are not about handouts, but partnerships. Our focus is not to carry, but to walk alongside our partners, while promoting self-sustainability and disciple making. Our greatest desire is to see the people we serve become disciples of Jesus.

Our team
Our ministry's foundation
Our history

Our Team

To find out more information about our teammates, select their card to read their bio.

United States Team

Cody Griess

Founder & Executive Director

Ben Griess

Director of Operations

Justin Hiser

Creative Director

Tanzania Team

Paul Kigeja

CGT Director

Pastor Issack Sanga

CGT Director

Michael Mgonja

CGT Director

The Board

Stacy Riley

President

Russ Riley

Vice President

Les Griess

Treasurer

Marty Griess

Secretary

Toby Watson

Board Member

Kelly Swantek

Board Member

Chloe Burns

Board Member

Brian Kroksh

Board Member

Core Pillars

We foster a culture of faithfulness by actively engaging in both evangelism and discipleship. We strive to stay steadfast in our relationship with Christ, while intentionally investing in others to raise up mature followers of Jesus.

“Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”
Psalm 37:3

We invite locals to engage with our mission, offer Bible studies, and provide training in Christlikeness. We seek to emulate Jesus by serving selflessly, promoting unity, and fostering spiritual growth.

“And let us consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
Hebrews 10:24-25

We provide training and innovative agricultural practices to promote sustainability. Our aim is to empower individuals to plan strategically, bridging the gap between opportunity and accessibility.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.”
Proverbs 21:5

We steward resources through prayer, maintaining an eternal kingdom focus, and using the knowledge and resources God has entrusted to us. We believe all resources come from God and are to be used for His mission.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

Our History

Cultivate Global grew from a desire, to an idea, to an opportunity, and ultimately to a reality over the span of a year. Our founder and Executive Director, Cody Griess, acted on an ambitious goal upon returning to central Nebraska from serving in Texas in the summer of 2021. Through a combination of meaningful relationships, personal experience, and drive, he saw his goals and passions come together. In the fall of 2022, Cultivate Global was officially born.

Doors opened in remarkably timely ways through the Lord’s guidance and sovereignty. He provided the right people and opportunities, at just the right time and in the right order, to bring this vision to life. Shortly after launching, Cultivate Global formed an international partnership with Cornerstone Agricultural Schools of Africa (CASA), a gospel-preaching school system serving some of the poorest regions of Tanzania. We later expanded to work with Noonkodin Secondary School, another gospel-centered institution focused on empowering Maasai children from vulnerable backgrounds.

In 2024, we established Cultivate Global Tanzania (CGT), giving us a broader footprint and empowering local leaders to serve through our core pillars. In 2025, we sharpened our vision and developed a focused model: using agriculture as a foundational platform for ministry. Through CGT, we are currently building the Mavuno Complex, and we’re excited to see our history continue to unfold.

 

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Brian Kroksh

Board Member

Brian grew up on a small pig farm in Iowa before moving to Nebraska. While studying Construction Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he met his now wife, Tessa. During that season, Brian recognized he needed a personal relationship with his Savior and that the only way to have eternal life was to trust his life to Jesus.

Tessa and Brian now have three children and reside near Central City, Nebraska. He enjoys quality time with his family, traveling extensively, and finding new adventures. He has led engineering and pre-construction projects in Kenya and loves traveling on motorcycles throughout East Africa.

Chloe Burns

Board Member

Contact Chloe

Chloe grew up in Maryland but hasn’t forgotten her roots in the cornfields of Sutton, Nebraska. After walking through a significant season of illness, she experienced God’s steady faithfulness in a way that deepened her love for the gospel and strengthened her desire to see it shared with others in grace-filled ways.

Chloe earned her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies from Regent University. Through her studies, she developed a heart for building deeper connections and bringing creativity, faith, and effective communication together to shape ideas into meaningful experiences. She is especially passionate about advancing Christ-centered initiatives that directly support the lives of individuals, families, and communities. As a board member, Chloe seeks to support the organization’s mission with wisdom, humility, and prayer. She considers it a privilege to serve and to contribute to the organization’s ongoing impact.

Kelly Swantek

Board Member

Kelly spent many years in marketing and sales before becoming an owner and employee of a grain farming corporation. In addition to helping manage the farm and homefront, Kelly enjoys innovation, problem solving, and helping small for-profit and nonprofit businesses succeed. Cultivate Global provides extra opportunity to expand her initiative, as its goal is providing for the physical and spiritual needs of others using tangible and long-term solutions for sustainment and growth through agricultural methods.

Kelly’s true passion is Jesus Christ and sharing Him with others through serving, writing, teaching, and counseling women. She enjoys spending life with her husband, children, and grandchildren, who are her greatest treasures on earth.

Toby Watson

Board Member

Toby is currently the Associate Pastor of Youth and Families at Geneva Evangelical Free Church. Here, he gets to fulfill God’s calling upon his life to share the Gospel with and disciple young people. God’s grace in Christ has been shown greatly to him and he loves to share that with others.

He graduated from Colorado Christian University with a degree in Biblical Studies and Youth Ministry. While in college, Toby met his wife, Rachel. Together they love to go on walks, make meals, and spend time with friends and family. In his free time, Toby loves to do anything that gets him outside whether that is grilling, skiing, fishing, working on house projects, or sports.

Marty Griess

Secretary

With a heart rooted in agriculture and missions, Marty found Cultivate Global to be a natural fit. She grew up on a four-generation ranch where the rhythms of agriculture instilled a lifelong appreciation for hard work and dedication.

Always having a heart for missions, Cultivate Global has given her an opportunity to serve Christ globally. Combining practical farming skills and a passion for education, she feels she can make a meaningful contribution to Cultivate Global.

Married for 32 years with four children and three grandchildren, Marty’s experience blends deep-rooted family values with a passion for agriculture and global outreach.

Les Griess

Treasurer

Les has been married for 32 years and has been blessed with four children and three grandchildren. He is a veterinarian and owner of Griess Farms, a pork production business in central Nebraska. Growing up on a farm near Sutton, Nebraska, he learned the values of hard work and persistence from an early age.

Serving with Cultivate Global has reminded Les that Christians are called to maintain an eternal mindset and do everything for His Kingdom. His experience in sustainable agriculture and desire to serve Christ globally fuel his passion for this ministry.

Russ Riley

Vice President

Russ was raised on a family farm with hogs and cattle, learning the value of hard work early on. After earning a degree in Agri-Business from Southeast Community College in 2002, he began a career in pork production and has spent over 20 years in the industry. Agriculture is both his livelihood and way of life.

Faith and family are the core values that guide everything Russ does. He is a proud father of three boys — Mason, Carter, and Everhett — and works each day to pass on the same values he was raised with: faith, integrity, and responsibility.

Stacy Riley

President

Stacy is a higher education leader with nearly 20 years of experience in program development and inclusive student support. Raised on a family farm, she values agriculture and brings a grounded, equity-focused approach to her work. Through Cultivate Global, she connects her passion for agriculture and her desire to share the gospel to advance biblical education.

Stacy is active in community service, with a focus on advocacy for women and underrepresented populations. She has been married for 20 years and is a proud mom to Mason, Carter, and Everhett.

Michael Mgonja

Public Relations Coordinator

Michael Clement Mgonja is a teacher by profession and is dedicated to organizing youth and communities in discipleship and Bible studies. Born and raised in the Kilimanjaro hills of Tanzania, he worked on farms to pay his way through school and learned to rely on himself from a young age.

Michael and his wife are parents to five boys, and he works hard to give them a better education than he received.

He sees Cultivate Global as a powerful blessing to his family and is grateful for their support. Michael enjoys teaching, farming, and traveling for fun.

Issack Sanga

Ministry & Discipleship Coordinator

Issack Sanga is a pastor, married to Angelina Silas Karata, and together they are blessed with two daughters. Born and raised in Dodoma and Singida, in central Tanzania, Issack loves ministering the gospel, reading, and learning.

His passion for the true gospel of Christ led him to Cultivate Global, where he feels called to serve alongside a ministry that shares his heart for God’s Kingdom.

Issack enjoys building relationships within his community and mentoring young people in faith. He is honored to work with Cultivate Global to advance the gospel in practical ways.

Paul Kigeja

Operations Manager

Paul Kigeja is a lawyer by trade, actively involved in organizational operations, discipleship, and community Bible studies, with a heart to encourage others to grow in Christ Jesus. He was introduced to Cultivate Global through a friend in Chalinze. What drew him in was the clear passion behind the vision, mission, and objectives for God’s Kingdom. Paul is humbled to be part of an organization fully committed to doing everything for God’s glory in practical and impactful ways.

He also enjoys fishing, hunting, and reading and writing books. For Paul, working with Cultivate Global is part of what God has called him to do.

Justin Hiser

Creative Director

Justin is a storyteller at heart with a passion for capturing moments that matter. Through videography and photography, he has developed a deep love for creating meaningful, cinematic content that reflects both beauty and purpose. His work has taken him across the country and around the world, most recently to Tanzania, where he filmed a mini documentary centered on faith, people, and impact.

He has filmed and edited dozens of wedding films, including destination weddings, and has had the opportunity to work in a variety of creative environments, from live events to concert settings alongside artists such as Jason Aldean. Justin joined Cultivate Global to use his creative gifts to serve a greater mission. He is passionate about using film to highlight what God is doing around the world and to help share stories that inspire others to live with purpose.

Outside of his work, Justin enjoys traveling, playing basketball, volleyball, and pickleball, and seeking out new experiences while connecting with people from all walks of life.

Ben Griess

Director of Operations

Contact Ben

Ben enjoys building teams, growing businesses, watching bold ideas grow into real-world transformation, and helping people flourish by finding ways to connect them with meaningful purpose. Growing up in agriculture taught him the value of hard work, stewardship, and rootedness — principles that continue to shape how he leads and serves today. He is passionate about gospel-centered ministry and joined Cultivate Global because it reflects both his heart for God’s Kingdom and his desire to see practical, lasting impact in communities.

Ben has been married for three years to his wife, Claire, and they have been blessed with their daughter, Soren, and son, Everett. Outside of work, Ben enjoys spending time with his family and can often be found hunting, golfing, playing basketball, or traveling.

Cody Griess

Founder & Executive Director

Contact Cody

Cody was raised with the values of faith, compassion, and hard work. Growing up as the son of farmers, he developed a deep passion for agriculture and the principles it instills. He has spent time in full-time ministry and now works alongside his family in their farming operation.

Cody is currently pursuing a Master of Theology and enjoys preaching when called upon. Outside of work and studies, he can often be found playing fetch with his dog, spending time at the lake with family, hunting, playing sports with friends, or cheering on the Cornhuskers.

He founded Cultivate Global as an act of faith, following a vision the Lord gave him at age 20. Cody has a heart for the Gospel, people, and agriculture—and sees Cultivate Global as the unique intersection of all three.