2025 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit
June 23-25, 2025 | Seattle, WA
Hyatt Regency Seattle
Joel Gamoran
Founder
Homemade
Bio:
Chef Joel Gamoran is a culinary innovator and sustainability advocate known for his dynamic presence on PBS's "Homemade Live," a vibrant cooking show featuring celebrity guests. As the host, Joel has inspired countless home cooks with his accessible recipes and fun-loving spirit. Beyond the television screen, Joel has built his online cooking school, Homemade, into the largest of its kind, revolutionizing how people learn to cook from the comfort of their own kitchens.
Before his success with Homemade, Joel served as the head chef at Sur La Table, where he honed his skills and passion for teaching. His culinary journey includes cooking at some of the finest restaurants in the world, including the renowned French Laundry. His expertise and charisma later led him to host A&E's "Scraps," a show dedicated to sustainable cooking and zero waste. Throughout his career, Joel has remained committed to promoting eco-friendly practices, making him a leader in the movement toward a more sustainable culinary world.
Schedule
Tuesday, June 24
9:00am - 10:30am
[Mainstage Session I] Now Trending: Celebrating Recent Wins and Preparing for What’s Next
From the first national strategy to reduce food loss and waste and West Coast retailers reporting a 25% decline in unsold food to more than $900 million invested in food waste solutions, the past year saw some big wins for food waste reduction. As we look ahead, a combination of factors have the potential to shape how we eat and in turn, how much we waste. Our first mainstage session celebrates key accomplishments from the last year and dives into trends in consumer consumption and diets that will impact food loss and waste.
Tuesday, June 24
4:00pm - 5:15pm
[Mainstage Session II] Setting the Table: The Realities Shaping Our Work
We can’t address food waste without understanding the broader food system and the world in which that system operates. This session takes a step back to help frame up the context in which we accomplish our work—the policies, trends, technologies, and environmental issues that shape the system that produces (and wastes) our food.
Wednesday, June 25
9:00am - 10:15am
[Mainstage Session III] From Emerald to Evergreen: Food Waste Wins in Seattle and Washington State
Welcome to Seattle, “the Emerald City”! This forward-thinking city is a leader when it comes to food waste reduction—for nearly a decade, it’s had an organic waste disposal ban that keeps food out of landfill, and it’s also home to pioneers like Starbucks and Safeway that are setting the bar for food donation. This session highlights policies and best practices in Seattle and Washington, exploring what’s gone well, what still needs to happen, and what can be scaled across the country.
Wednesday, June 25
12:00pm - 1:00pm
[Mainstage Session IV] No Time to Waste: Accelerating Progress to 2030
We’re just five years away from 2030, the target year for cutting food waste in half both in the U.S. and internationally—and while we have a lot to celebrate, we’ve still got a long way to go. There’s a wide range of solutions driving food waste reductions across the supply chain, but unlocking their potential at scale will require accelerated action from all food system actors. Our closing mainstage session features seasoned funders exploring the investment and funding landscape for food waste solutions, including what’s worked in the past and what needs to change for the future.