2025 Wasted Food Summit

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Memorial Hall | 1225 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Co-hosted by Last Mile Food Rescue, Green Umbrella, and Hamilton County ReSource

Reimagining Wasted Food: From Surplus to Solution

Every year, the U.S. throws away nearly 60 million tons of food—almost 40% of what’s produced. Meanwhile, millions face food insecurity every day. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Join us for the Wasted Food Summit, a powerful one-day gathering of changemakers, business leaders, chefs, advocates, and sustainability experts, all working to turn wasted food into opportunity. Whether you’re a business or institution interested in learning about food donation or an individual looking to be part of the solution, this event will equip you with tools, insights, and inspiration to take action.

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Event Highlights:

• Keynote by Sara Burnett, Executive Director of ReFED and national food waste expert
• Keynote by Chef Alejandra Schrader, award-winning author, chef, food TV personality, and activist
• Stories from local food donors and food rescue champions
• Breakout sessions for businesses and individual advocates
• Practical tips to overcome barriers to food donation
• Networking with peers and leaders in sustainability, food access, and policy
• Post-event Reception at Mellotone Beer Project

Schedule Overview (see speakers below):

8:30–9:00 AM – Registration + Light Breakfast (coffee sponsored by Deeper Roots Coffee)
9:00–9:30 AM – Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:30–10:30 AM – Morning Keynote: Sara Burnett, ReFED
10:30–11:30 AM – Plenary Panel: Opportunities & Challenges of Food Donations
11:30–12:00 PM – Lunch (catered by La Soupe)
12:00–1:00 PM – Breakout Sessions
     [Track for Businesses] – From Surplus to Strategy: The Business Case for Food Donation
     [Track for Advocates] – Your Voice, Your Impact: Preventing Food Waste Together
1:00–2:00 PM – Afternoon Keynote: Chef Alejandra Schrader
2:00–2:30 PM – Closing Remarks
2:45–4:00 PM – Post-Summit Networking Reception @ Mellotone Beer Project (1429 Race St)

Who Should Attend?

• Businesses & Organizations: Grocery stores, caterers, restaurants, distributors, institutions, and event planners interested in food donation
• Advocates: Individuals passionate about reducing waste and addressing hunger in their communities

Learn how food donation and rescue can reduce waste, feed people, and strengthen your bottom line—and how everyday advocates can help transform the food system!

2025 Wasted Food Summit Speakers:

Sara Burnett serves as ReFED’s Executive Director. She provides organizational leadership with direct oversight of ReFED’s programs, operations, and administration, and contributes to the organization’s overall strategic vision. Most recently, she served as Founder and Principal Consultant of Burnett Strategy and Communications, where she helped purpose-driven organizations grow their businesses while driving positive impact. Prior to this, Sara served as Vice President of Food Beliefs, Sustainability, and Public Relations at Panera Bread and Panera Brands for 18 years, where she pioneered the company’s Clean Food Commitment and led both Panera Bread’s Day-End Dough-Nation program as well as the Panera Bread Foundation.

Chef Alejandra Schrader is an award-winning cookbook author, plant-based nutrition advocate, and TV personality who uses food to drive climate action. Her Low-Carbon Cookbook and Action Plan promotes sustainable eating through creative plant-based recipes, and her work has earned her recognition from the UN, World Bank, and EAT Foundation. A MasterChef finalist and fan favorite, Alejandra has cooked for world leaders, spoken at major global summits, and championed food justice, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Her vibrant voice makes the science of food waste accessible and actionable for all.

Erik Hyden is the Director of New Business Partnerships and Food Donations at Last Mile Food Rescue. For over twenty years Erik was an Executive Chef in the Cincinnati area. Beginning his career at a family-owned, local fine dining restaurant is where he developed a passion for bringing wholesome and delicious food to the people of Cincinnati. Being an early figure in the farm to table movement in the Tri State area gave him a sense of how communities can create and improve their own food security and diversity. Erik is now focused on using his many years of experience and connections in the food service industry to impact food insecurity through the mission of Last Mile Food Rescue.

Valerie Berner is the Director of Guest Experience at United Dairy Farmers where she and her team specialize in translating guest insights into sustainable practices, thus resulting in improved guest satisfaction and operational efficiency. She and her team’s work has directly contributed to over 5 million pounds of food not being landfilled. UDF’s donated items such as milk, fresh sandwiches, and bakery items are provided to local residents who may otherwise not be able to consume three meals a day. Valerie will share how convenience store leaders and others can turn food waste reduction into a powerful tool for elevating guest experience and strengthening a company’s brand.

Mike Haunert recently retired after 31 years at Sysco, where he served as President of the Mid Central Region. Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing, and distributing food and non-food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, as well as lodging establishments. Mike now provides consulting services, helping hospitality operators with supply chain and distribution strategy. Mike serves on the board of trustees of the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Association, the Cincinnati State Community College Board of Directors, and the board of advisors for Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment in Cincinnati.

Denise Osterhues leads Kroger’s sustainability and social responsibility efforts as part of the company’s Communications & Public Affairs team. In this role, she leads the Responsible Business strategy, stakeholder engagement and reporting work, including Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste impact plan. Denise joined Kroger in 2008 and served in several Communications & Public Affairs leadership positions before her current role. Before joining Kroger, she led community development communications and community engagement at a bank in Charlotte and served in various roles at The Dow Chemical Company in Michigan, including financial communications and environment, health and safety communications.

Emmy Schroder serves as the Executive Director of La Soupe, overseeing the organization’s strategic direction and daily operations to maximize its impact on reducing food waste and combating food insecurity. Drawing on her experience in engineering, supply chain project management, and nonprofit leadership, Emmy ensures effective program delivery and fosters community partnerships. She is dedicated to creating sustainable solutions that address hunger and make a lasting impact on the community.

Casey Slive is the Ohio Department of Health Food Access Coordinator, where they plan, implement, and evaluate food access interventions and resources statewide. Casey also serves on the Ohio Food Policy Network Steering Committee, the Ohio Nutrition Incentive Network, the Ohio Farm to School Network, and the State Nutrition Action Committee. Casey works with partners to support the coordination and expansion of produce prescription programs and the coordination of food recovery efforts across the state. Casey earned a BA in Environmental Geography from The Ohio State University in 2013 and a Master of Public Health from Kent State University in 2022.

Evan Walker is Director of Corporate Engagement at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) where he works with business leaders to advance sustainability, fund global conservation, and inspire people to protect places and save species. WWF is working with companies to reduce food loss and waste, representing one of the biggest opportunities to produce more with less – less land, water, inputs, and emissions. Prior to joining WWF, Evan began his conservation career at The Nature Conservancy. He holds a Master of Science degree in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources.

Amanda Osborne is a Community Development Educator at Ohio State University Extension. She brings more than ten years of expertise in community food systems, where she has worked closely with local and state partners to combat food insecurity and promote economic development. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geography from Ohio University and a Master’s in Urban Geography from The George Washington University. Amanda is an active member of both the Ohio Food Policy Network and the Ohio Nutrition Incentive Network.

Ángel Arroyo-Rodríguez, PhD, AICP, works at The Office of Environmental Innovation at the Ohio EPA as an environmental planner, public health practitioner, and registered sanitarian. He couples his specializations in organics recycling, beneficial reuse, pollution prevention, and materials management planning efforts, with planning for prevention of waste food and sustainable management of food related wastes throughout the food system.

Funding for the Wasted Food Summit was generously provided by SARE. For questions or partnership opportunities, contact Charlie Gonzalez at charlie@greenumbrella.org.