Why Found Food Co.

Who We Are

Grounded in experience. Focused on results.

After spending a decade building one of Iowa’s largest food recovery organizations, I founded Found Food Co. to help communities, organizations, and leaders create practical solutions to food system challenges.

Impact Highlights

  • 15+ years of food systems leadership

  • 300+ community refrigerators supported nationwide

  • 2,000+ food rescue volunteers mobilized

  • Millions of pounds of food redirected

Coalition Building & Food System Development

Found Food Co.

  • 2015 - Local food box

  • 2015 (?) grant - building farmers market capacity & pay farmers for time to complete paperwork to partcipiate in SNAP/EBT

  • Operation Fresh Produce Drop

  • Cross docking

    Storage

    Pick up

    Delivery * earned revenue

  • Value Chain Coordinators;

  • April 2013 - First Local Food Coordinator in central Iowa. With a staff of 1.5 full time employees, spent first 6 months meeting with over 250 individuals and organizations working across one of five food system sectors. These meetings led to program and project focus areas.

  • Project Award: $20,000
    Project goals:

    • Purchase, training and implementation of food rescue technology;

    • Development of educational promotion materials regarding food rescue for the general public;

    • Development of training materials for businesses starting a food rescue program;

    • Development of training materials for volunteers supporting food rescue operations; and

    • Development of a central, coordinated food rescue program in Des Moines by establishing the Grantee as the central point of contact for food rescue opportunities in Des Moines.

  • Started with $10,000 pilot - collaboration with Meals on Wheels, Kum & Go, & Conlin Properties.
    Results:

    Lessons Learned:

  • Funding to hire full time staff member for food rescue program.

  • One of 10 nonprofits selected from over 400 applications across the US.

    Project involved strategically placed shared-use refrigerated vans to expand the current food recovery transportation network, food rescue efficiency, and equity, while providing opportunities for nonprofit and for-profit collaboration and job creation through a paid food rescue driver program.

  • Collaboration with county government IT department and other local nonprofits impacted by food recovery to develop food donation ang logistics technology.

  • Pandemic pivots

    Ordering fresh produce from wholesalers

    Farmers to Familes food boxes

  • Initial Location

    Goal - expand infrastructure and make access easy. Ready for when food isn't wasted. Building infrastructure now.

  • Barry, warehouse,

    Providing to new locations - Dahl's grant

    Immediate Impact:

    Earned Revenue:

  • Collaborated with fellow ReFed organization to launch software in central Iowa.

    Immediate Results:

    Goal: Proof of concept. Purchase as a state to allow smaller communities to use.

Grant Awards & Fundraising

Found Funds Co.

  • Formerly known as Hunger Free Dallas County, this

  • xxx

  • Quarterly meetings organized to bring together the change makers from across central Iowa.

  • The National Food Recovery Alliance (NFRA) envisions a future where food recovery is incorporated in every community’s strategy for food & nutrition justice, environmental stewardship and a strong economy.

    NFRA serves as a vehicle for food rescue experts and organizations of all sizes to define the future of food recovery.