Ashley Zanolli has been a food waste warrior for more than 17 years, working on various state and national government initiatives to support sustainable food management, water quality and climate sustainability. While at the Environmental Protection Agency, Ashley’s team developed the community-based social marketing campaign “Food: Too Good To Waste” to inspire behavior change and reduce food wasted at home. Today, she advises on the development and implementation of a national strategy to...

A former rocket scientist and lifelong inventor, Bill Birgen is the Founder and Chief Technology Officer at SAVRpak. Fed up with soggy lunches, Bill developed a pocket-size thermodynamic solution that created the perfect atmosphere inside his lunchbox, keeping his salads and sandwiches fresh and crisp. This technology evolved into SAVRpak’s Drop-In solution, which eradicates condensation - the number one cause of premature molding, wilting and spoilage of packaged produce like berries and...

Anna Hammond is the Founder and CEO of Matriark Foods whose mission is to divert surplus food headed to the landfill and create healthy products for food service, retail and emergency food supplies. What many home cooks have done at home for centuries, Matriark is doing at scale. The company upcycles farm surplus and fresh-cut remnants into flavor-packed pantry staples like slow-cooked pasta sauces and low-sodium broth concentrates. On this episode of Food Lab Talk, you’ll hear about how Anna...

James Kanoff co-founded The Farmlink Project in 2020 while being a student at Stanford University. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused Stanford to send students home, James and his fellow classmates knew they had to do something to help their local communities. They created The Farmlink Project with the intention to rescue surplus food from farmers and deliver to food banks and families in need. On this episode of “Food Lab Talk,” Michiel speaks with James about how The Farmlink Project has...

Adam Litle is the Chief Executive Officer at Sound Agriculture, an organization that is unlocking the natural power within plants to help agriculture adapt faster and become more resilient. Sound has partnerships with over a dozen companies to improve flavor, reduce spoilage, and increase yield in a variety of crops. On this episode of “Food Lab Talk,” Michiel speaks with Adam about Sound’s groundbreaking technology that enables rapid innovation in crops like their Summer Swell Tomato, how...

Amy Keister is the Global Director of Sustainability at Compass Group. She leads a visionary team shaping the future of foodservice, focusing on business growth, and leveraging strategic partnerships to create positive change throughout the food system. On this episode of “Food Lab Talk,” Michiel speaks with Amy to hear about how “Stop Food Waste Day” went from an idea to a global day of action, how education plays a role in scaling food waste solutions, and Amy’s formula for influencing and...

Matt Rogers is the Founder and CEO of Mill, a startup that helps customers turn their food scraps into farm feed. As a former engineer at Apple and cofounder of Nest, Matt understands how to create products that drive lasting change. He believes technology, coupled with deep empathy for the user experience, has the opportunity to solve a problem like food waste in a way that is impactful for both people and the planet. On this episode of “Food Lab Talk,” Michiel speaks with Matt to hear what...

Neel Ghose is the founder of the Robin Hood Army, a zero-funds volunteer-based organization that is using food redistribution as a medium to connect with others and solve for the problem of excess food at restaurants, grocery stores, and other foodservice settings. Through the power of people, Robin Hood Army has scaled to reach more than 400 cities in 13 countries. On this episode of “Food Lab Talk,” Michiel speaks with Neel about what inspired him to begin the Robin Hood Army, how he and...

A-dae Romero-Briones is the Director of Programs at the First Nations Development Institute, an organization committed to strengthening tribal assets and helping Native Communities restore and retain their culture. First Nations supports tribes and Native communities as they build sustainable food systems that improve health, strengthen food security and increase their control over Native agriculture and food systems. On this episode of “Food Lab Talk,” Michiel speaks with A-dae about the...

Dana Gunders is the Executive Director of ReFED, a national nonprofit that advances data-driven solutions to help train, inspire, and strategize around food waste reduction. By taking a holistic view of the food system, and focused, purposeful action, ReFED is working to achieve a 50% food waste reduction in accordance with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. On this episode of “Food Lab Talk,” Michiel speaks with Dana about why tackling food waste requires a...

A better food system starts with one thing: vision. Food Lab Talk gives global food system changemakers a platform to articulate their vision for the future of food. The series features interviews with inspiring individuals who are working on the frontlines of many of our most pressing food issues: reducing food loss and waste, enhancing food system transparency, facilitating shifts toward more balanced plant-forward diets, enabling informed individual choices for sustainable lifestyles, and...

Each of us are connected to food systems, so you and I have a vested interest in understanding its workings, challenges and potential solutions.  In his role at Google, one of Michiel Bakker's responsibilities is to ask: what is the impact of our food choices?  Not just on our individual health and wellbeing but also on the food systems we are a part of - our producers, our suppliers, society, and the planet. We all have a responsibility to ask big questions like this. The answers can open...