About Appleseed
Appleseed provides economic and social research and analysis, economic development planning and project development, strategic planning and program development services to government, non-profit and corporate clients.
Since 1993, our work has been guided by a commitment to working closely with our clients, and tailoring our services to meet each client's needs. Appleseed team members come from a variety of backgrounds, bringing a diverse set of skills to each project. This fusion of talents helps us think strategically, multi-dimensionally and with flexibility.
Backgrounds of team members include:
- Economic Development
- Economic analysis
- Public Policy Analysis
- Strategic Planning
- Urban Planning
- Organizational Development
Specific skills that help us provide value to our clients include:
- Economic impact analysis (IMPLAN modeling)
- Non-profit program evaluation
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Graphic and information design
Many of Appleseed's projects involve collaboration with other firms. We have had extensive experience in assembling and leading teams that bring together firms from a variety of specialties, including real estate analysis, urban planning and design, traffic engineering and construction cost estimating.
Many of our assignments also involve the preparation and production of reports aimed at helping clients achieve specific public policy, community or business objectives. Appleseed's graphic design capabilities help clients to further communicate with key audiences concerning their current activities, future plans, issues that affect them or their contributions to the community.
Appleseed's work generates a variety of positive results. Examples include:
- Appleseed's work on intra-ferry service for the New York City Economic Development Corporation was incorporated into PlanNYC 2030, the strategic plan prepared by the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability and released by Mayor Bloomberg in April 2007.
- For the City of Yonkers, Appleseed's collaboration with the Office of Economic Development led to an Empowerment Zone designation, which opened up the City to new funding sources, including a recent award from New York State's RestoreNY grant.
- With the United Way of Tri State, Appleseed's work led to a major restructuring of their methodology for distributing funding, and further helped implement the organization's telecommunications plan.
- Appleseed's work with the New York Cruise Alliance initiated a discussion with New York City stakeholders, including the City's Economic Development Corporation, on the future of Brooklyn's cruise terminal.
The Appleseed Team
Hugh O'Neill, President, founded Appleseed in 1993. From 1975 through 1978 he was Deputy Commissioner at the New York State Department of Social Services. He later served as Deputy Secretary for Economic Development under governors Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo, and as Assistant Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Mr. O'Neill is a graduate of Manhattan College, and holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University.
Jordan Anderson, Vice President, joined Appleseed in 2005. His work has focused on economic impact analysis for a variety of private and non-for-profit clients, including Brown University, the University of Chicago and Cornell University. In addition, he has participated in work on telecommunications policy for the Empire State Development Corporation. Prior to joining Appleseed, Mr. Anderson served as a product manager for SAP Labs and as a systems analyst for PETsMART, Inc. Mr. Anderson has a master's degree in urban planning from New York University and a B.S. in information and decision systems from Carnegie Mellon University.
Scott Hong, Senior Consultant, joined Appleseed in 2006. His work has focused on economic development analyses for a number of clients, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Prior to joining Appleseed, he worked for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York City Department of Small Business Services, and the Sam Schwartz Corporation. He holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from McGill University and a master's degree in urban planning from New York University.
Cassondra Mehlum, Senior Consultant, joined Appleseed in 2006. Her work has focused on economic impact analysis for mixed-use developments in Willets Point, identifying transit-oriented development opportunities for the Port Authority, and exploring water rate options for the Department of Environmental Protection. Prior to joining Appleseed, she worked for the Village Alliance Business Improvement District, the Dept. of Housing, Preservation and Development, and the Chicago- Kent College of Law. Ms. Mehlum has a B.S. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.S. in urban planning from Columbia University.
Abby Slovin, Senior Consultant, joined Appleseed in 2006. Her work has focused primarily on community development and non-profit organizations. She previously worked with The After School Corporation, evaluating New York City after-school programs and the Ann Arbor Art Center, developing their education department. She has also worked with a variety of New York non-profit organizations on strategic marketing, organizational development, and public policy analysis. Ms. Slovin holds a B.A in Political Science and Art History from the University of Michigan and an M.P.A with a focus in Public Policy from New York University.
Nishita Dewan, Consultant, joined Appleseed in 2008. Prior to joining Appleseed, Ms. Dewan worked for Accenture's Business Consulting Division based in London. At Accenture, she worked in Istanbul to assist the leading local bank, Isbank, with implementing structural and process changes to help the bank transition into the international market. More recently, Ms. Dewan consulted with Vodafone, conducting a cost-benefit and training needs analysis to determine the most cost effective method to deploy a CRM system. Ms. Dewan holds a B.S in Geography and Economics with a focus on urban, development and international economics from The London School of Economics.
