2025 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit
June 23-25, 2025 | Seattle, WA
Hyatt Regency Seattle
Sara Burnett
Executive Director
ReFED
Bio:
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.
Sara began her career as a food scientist and supply chain expert leading programs in ingredient quality, food safety, climate strategy, and animal welfare. She was a Pathfinder Environmental Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, where she received a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology. She holds an MBA from Webster University in St. Louis.
Sara has been happily married to a St. Louis firefighter for nearly 20 years and is the proud mother of two teenage daughters. When she’s not on the sidelines at a soccer game or attending school events, you can find her running, hiking, or reading.
Schedule
Wednesday, May 20
1:30pm - 2:30pm
“Right-Sizing the Plate: How Customizable Portions Can Win Customers and Cut Waste”
Diners are sending a clear signal to the restaurant and foodservice industry—they want more control over how much they order, and they're choosing where to eat based on who gives it to them. Flexible, customizable portion options aren't just a food waste strategy; they're a competitive advantage. This session uses new research on customizable portions as a springboard for a practical, wide-ranging conversation about what right-sizing looks like when it moves from concept to menu. Featuring case studies from restaurants and foodservice operators, panelists will share how reimagined portion offerings better align with what diners actually want.
Thursday, May 21
12:00pm - 1:00pm
“A Decade of Impact: Celebrating Success and Charting the Path Forward”
Mainstage
Three days of bold ideas, candid conversations, and cross-sector connections—and here’s where we bring it all together. This closing session reunites some of the original architects of ReFED's first Roadmap to reflect on the journey from vision to impact and to share what they believe the next chapter must look like if we are to meet the scale of the challenge ahead. But this isn't just a look back. Drawing on the themes, tensions, and breakthroughs surfaced throughout the Summit, our closing panel will help attendees synthesize what they've heard and turn inspiration into intention and ultimately action. Through an interactive discussion designed to spark reflection and action, every person in the room will leave with concrete next steps—and a renewed sense of the collective momentum behind this work. This session is a reminder of how far we've come—and a challenge to make the next ten years count even more.