Leslie Clark is a painter, jewelry designer, and founder of the Nomad Foundation. A Third-generation Ojai native, she was raised on a cattle ranch by her father, which gave her a deep connection to the land and a lifelong love of wide-open spaces. After earning an MFA from George Washington University, she exhibited her work in France and spent years traveling and painting in search of new perspectives. 

In 1993, a trip to Niger changed her life. A small gift to a nomadic family helped them stay mobile, sparking the idea that led to the Nomad Foundation, which supports education, health, and economic opportunity in West Africa. Now based on her ranch in California, Clark finds inspiration in the natural world and the cowboy life she grew up with. Her jewelry line celebrates Tuareg craftsmanship, while her paintings reflect a life shaped by movement, connection, and purpose