Room 200

Panel I : Challenges and Opportunities

Here the challenges and opportunities identified from the morning’s round table discussions followed by a panel discussion with topic leaders moderated by Dennis Mahoney.

Urban Farming & Environment
Dimka Braswell, R&B Farms

Food Banks, Distributors & Transportation
Rev. Vito Baldini, Executive Director of Small Things, Inc.

Grocery Stores, Markets & Corner Stores
Alicja Spauding, St. Joseph's University

Food Pantries & Meal Providers
Kory Smith, Philly People of Hope

Health & Nutrition
Erin Morton, Philadelphia Partnership for Nutrition & Health

Restaurants & Businesses
Elias Bitar, Normas Restaurant

Community Empowerment
Ericka Gaines, Director of Community Empowerment for Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia

Food Services for Seniors, Disabilities, & Other Vulnerable Communities
Yvonne Hughes, Boomers R’ Heroes

Panel II: Executive Summaries, Where from here

Hear two influential executives share their summaries and visions for where we go from here, moderated by Dennis Mahoney.

Evan Ehlers, Founder and CEO, Sharing Excess; Member of City Council Task Force for Food Security and Nutrition

Evan is a Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Sharing Excess - a national nonprofit organization, based in Philadelphia, that rescues surplus food from wholesalers, farmers, and grocery stores to distribute to communities in need. Sharing Excess bridges the gap between food waste and food insecurity, delivering over 100 million pounds of surplus food every year. Evan started Sharing Excess in 2018 out of the back of his grandma’s car delivering extra meals from his college dining account while he was a student at Drexel University. He has since grown the organization nationally and internationally, with operations in Philly, New York, Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles - feeding over 10 million people annually. 

Roland Kassis, Founder of Kassis & Co.

Roland is a Lebanese-American developer, restaurateur, filmmaker, designer, and philanthropist whose work has helped shape the growth and revitalization of Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood over the last two decades. He is also co-founder of  Kassis & Co. and co-founder of Defined Hospitality, the hospitality group behind acclaimed concepts including Suraya, Kalaya, and Pizzeria Beddia; Briquette Studio, the design firm behind many of the neighborhood’s most recognized hospitality spaces; and Brevity Films, a film finance and development company focused on human-centered storytelling.