2025 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit

Shara Orem is Senior Director, Community Engagement at Datassential, a global food and beverage intelligence platform. Shara developed and leads the Elevate community to foster innovation and navigate disruption through connection. Shara also heads up strategic partnerships for the organization. She started her career in foodservice operations with a variety of front-of-house and back-of-house positions, from independent restaurants to Disney World, Marriott, and Mrs. Fields Cookies. Prior to joining Datassential, Shara worked for The Culinary Institute of America for 19 years, leading corporate relations and guiding program strategy for the strategic initiatives group. Through this role, she connected foodservice manufacturers, commodity boards, and associations with thought leadership initiatives focused on health, sustainability, global cuisines, and innovation. Shara holds a degree in Hospitality Administration from Boston University, and currently lives in Napa, CA, with her husband and two children, who are regularly reminded that food waste is a crime in their house.