Glen Cantrell

Glen Cantrell is a full-time organizational strategist, part-time small-town civic obsessive, and spare-time writer based in Twain Harte, California. He grew up in rural Kansas in the 80s, served in the U.S. Army as a Russian linguist at the end of the Cold War, landed in California in time for the first tech boom, and spent a career working across technology, government, nonprofits, startups, and consulting on both coasts.

His work has included HP, Oracle, Etsy, more than a few doomed startups, a nonprofit or two for good karma, and the County of Santa Clara. He now consults for multiple state and local government agencies in California.

After moving to Twain Harte, he became increasingly involved in the civic life of California’s rural Sierra Nevada foothills and, in January 2026, became president of the Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce. That work became the foundation for his first book, Embracing the Local: Extension Cords and All, a civic memoir about leadership, volunteerism, community identity, stewardship, and what it means to serve a place rather than merely live in it. His essays and Field Notes from a Small Chamber carry those questions into volunteer leadership, institutional capacity, publishing, technology, belonging, and the institutions people build together.

Glen lives in Twain Harte, California, with his husband, Michael, and three dogs who remain largely unimpressed by his professional accomplishments. If you see him in the produce section at Twain Harte Market buying Brussels sprouts, say hi.