Meet the team
About us
Associate Research Director
As part of the research team at Sweet Grass, I conduct client- and community-driven research to advance social and economic well-being in culturally appropriate ways. Whether it be focused on housing, enterprise, financial services, or otherwise, my focus is on making sure our clients receive actionable insights grounded in the realities they navigate as they do their important work.
Prior to joining Sweet Grass, I pursued academic research on the relationship between culture and cognition, culminating in a PhD in cultural anthropology in 2023. Through deep involvement in a wide array of academic and policy-focused research, I gained experience and expertise in designing and managing projects to ensure rigorous, targeted, and practically oriented outcomes. I leverage this expertise in my role at Sweet Grass to help organizations and communities address the questions they seek to answer.
When I’m off the clock I can usually be found on, in, or near a body of water, hanging out with family, or watching sports.
Pronouns: he/him
Email: max@sweetgrassconsulting.net
Team: Research
Max Van Oostenburg
Max hikes near San Francisco, California.
Recent articles
Culture shapes relationships between people, other living beings, and the environments they share
Through his research on recreational fishing in southwest Florida and a new fishing-focused market study for Pacific Northwest Tribal Lending, Max Van Oostenburg shares how culture shapes human-environment interactions.
Featured projects
A community-informed look at the housing ecosystem of Laguna Pueblo
We partnered with Laguna Housing Development & Management Enterprise to support culturally grounded, data-driven housing solutions for Laguna Pueblo.
