By Development and Administration Assistant Isabelle Fantalis Gross
Hi! My name is Isabelle, and I’m super excited to be joining the team as a Development and Administrative Assistant. I grew up in Delaware County with an anti-television Mom, which meant that most of my time was spent stumbling through Crum Creek and prancing around my neighbor’s garden. Constantly being outside taught me how to keep myself occupied and appreciate my surroundings. This interest continued into elementary school, where I was a core member of the “Earth Day Club,” where we would organize creek cleanups and plan donation drives with Terracycle.
Despite finding comfort in nature, I was always drawn to urban landscapes. I couldn’t escape the pull, and when I turned 18, I moved to New York City. I immediately assimilated to city living, but also gravitated towards parks and waterfronts when in need of quiet. Living near both Central and Prospect Park during my time in New York was a gift that I took advantage of. While New York City is known as an urban jungle, I was surprised at how easily beauty could be found on tree-lined streets and sprawling greenways.
I graduated from Baruch College in 2023 with a B.B.A., studying Entrepreneurship, as well as Philosophy and Psychology. While enduring courses such as “Finance” and “Business Statistics,” I discovered solace in my liberal arts minors, especially in classes such as “Environmental Ethics and Issues” and “Structural Injustices and Complicity.” My keen interest in the way we interact with our environment and how people can take responsibility for their impact began to re-emerge.
In 2023, through the LifeSciNYC initiative, I started as a Marketing Intern at TomTex, a company that created leather alternatives out of mushrooms and marine waste. I was thrown into the world of biotechnology, where sustainability and transparency were the number one priorities. I also participated in a 10-week program called New Venture Accelerator through CUNY Startups, where I led a team and came in first place for my business “Verdant,” a service that bridged the gap between beauty companies and eco-friendly packaging providers. These experiences opened my eyes to the ways in which I could use my skills to make a positive difference.
Upon graduating school, I was grappling with the common post-graduation existential crisis. While I loved the city, I couldn’t help but wonder what else was out there. New York City is huge, but the world is even bigger. After a lot of introspection and waiting for my lease in Brooklyn to end, I booked a one-way flight to Portugal with no long-term plan. That one choice led to 8 months filled with 3 continents, 10 countries, and countless experiences. I returned to the U.S. in the spring of 2025, not knowing what would come next, but hoping to continue the work I had started before I left. I look forward to contributing towards TTF’s efforts to maintain this community’s creek and watershed and ensure that it’s a space that everyone can find joy in.
