Leadership

Executive Director

Allie Wallace

Allie (she/her) became Executive Director of Open Table Nashville in June 2023 after serving in an interim role for several months. Prior to that, Allie was a long time OTN volunteer before joining staff as Operations Coordinator in 2019. That same year, she also obtained her Masters of Divinity from the Hazelip School of Theology at Lipscomb University. Her commitment to the work of Open Table Nashville runs deep and started back when she was a college student. She believes that everyone deserves a safe place to exist and Nashville can and should be a city where ALL can thrive. If she isn’t hanging out with her husband, chasing their hilarious and delightful toddler, you can find Allie rewatching her favorite TV shows, spending time with her twin sister, or eating a snack.

Co-Founder and Director of Advocacy

Lindsey Krinks

 For over fifteen years, Lindsey (she/her) has worked on the underside of Nashville—the streets, encampments, jails, slums, and underpasses—while also working with faith leaders, community organizers, and public officials to make the city more hospitable and just. In 2013, she graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School with a Master of Theological Studies degree and was ordained to serve as an interfaith street chaplain. Her book, Praying With Our Feet: Pursuing Justice & Healing on the Streets, is available everywhere books are sold. On any given day, Lindsey can be found in tent cities, marching for change, or foraging for native herbs and plants with her toddler and newborn. To learn more about Lindsey’s writing, visit her website.

Associate Director of Advocacy

India Pungarcher

India (she/her) holds a bachelor of science degree in dietetics and global health from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is a Midwest transplant who came to Nashville to pursue her master of public health degree at Vanderbilt. She started as a volunteer and immediately fell in love with the Open Table Nashville way – building relationships and standing in solidarity with our friends. She wants to spend her career working with and advocating for people experiencing homelessness and affordable housing by merging efforts from local government, advocacy, and research sectors. She believes housing is a fundamental human right and supports housing first models.

When she is not doing nerdy things on her computer, you can find her at the dog park with her pug, trying a new coffee shop, going for a run, or planning her next escape into the wilderness for some hiking and camping. She is always in search of people, places, and experiences that allow her to experience grace deeply.

Resource and Housing Navigator

Maddie Griffin

Maddie (she/her) is a lifetime Nashville resident, who became involved with Open Table Nashville as an outreach intern and winter canvassing lead. Maddie recently graduated with her Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is extremely excited about finding ways to apply her education in practice. Since becoming connected with OTN, her passion for housing justice and commitment to our neighbors on the streets has continued to grow and expand. Not only does she believe that housing is a mechanism for healing, but she also believes that it is a fundamental human right. When Maddie is out of the office, she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, playing solitaire on her computer, and sitting on her front porch drinking a coffee. 

Street Outreach and Housing Navigator

Jessica F.

Jessica (she/they) was born and raised in Nashville. She graduated from Lipscomb University in 2023 with a degree in social work. She has a deep passion for cultivating community and building a more equitable Nashville for all. She is excited to put this passion to action as a member of Open Table Nashville’s outreach team! When she’s not out and about serving her community, you can find her listening to music, spending time with friends, or working on art projects.