2024 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit
June 11-13, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Convention Center
Evan Ehlers
Founder
Sharing Excess
Bio:
Evan Ehlers is the Founder and CEO of Sharing Excess, a national nonprofit committed to rescuing and redistributing surplus food from wholesalers, grocers, and retailers to communities experiencing food insecurity. Since its inception, Sharing Excess has partnered with hundreds of food businesses to provide nearly $100 million in free food to over 3 million people.
Evan's journey with Sharing Excess began in his college dorm room at Drexel University. Days before the semester ended, he realized that he had 50 meal swipes left in his dining account that he knew he wouldn’t be able to use. He made a spur-of-the-moment decision to swipe out all his meals and drive around Philadelphia to give them away to anyone who needed them. This day changed his life forever, revealing the vast need for food in his community and the potential to share perfectly edible food that was needlessly going to waste.
From 50 meal swipes to 50 million pounds of food, Evan has grown Sharing Excess to become one of the largest food rescue nonprofits in the United States. What started as a college startup has evolved to a team of 45 employees and thousands of volunteers working to revolutionize solutions to food waste and food access in the USA and beyond. Sharing Excess’ innovative approach has led to food rescue operations inside two of the world’s largest wholesale produce markets in Philadelphia and New York City. In 2023, Evan was honored with a spot on the Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for his social and environmental impact.
Recently, Evan and his team gained international recognition after being featured in a MrBeast video that now has over 20 million views on YouTube. Their ongoing partnership with Beast Philanthropy has allowed Sharing Excess to distribute food in 31 states and poised the organization to expand operations globally in the coming years. The ultimate vision of Sharing Excess is to create a sustainable and equitable food system; maximizing surplus redistribution to ensure that all people have access to the resources they need to live healthy and prosperous lives.
Schedule
Wednesday, June 12
1:30pm - 2:30pm
Maximizing Impact: Key Components and Partnerships for Successful Food Recovery Programs
Breakout Session 2
What are the latest and greatest happenings and resources in food recovery sector? Salvaging surplus food and redistributing it is crucial for maximizing impact and ensuring that food serves its highest purpose of feeding people. Despite this, only a small fraction of surplus food ends up being donated, often resulting in food relief agencies purchasing perishables rather than relying solely on donations. This panel will explore key components and partnerships essential for successful food recovery programs, addressing how to rescue high-quality, nutritious food and increase distribution capacity in a dignified manner.