A food systems policy expert and social impact entrepreneur, Deb Eschmeyer has dedicated her career to the betterment of society. From co-founding the national nonprofit Food Corps, to serving as Executive Director of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative, and driving change in the food industry, her efforts have permanently influenced the way we think about food and health. In this episode, Deb shares her journey as a changemaker emphasizing agility and persistence, finding your “zone of genius”, and balancing perspectives and patience to achieve long-term change.

Deb Eschmeyer: “Don't take no for an answer and just keep pushing and speaking up and showing up. And it’s sometimes really uncomfortable. There's so many people who don't like public speaking. There's so many people who are brilliant and just have fabulous ideas… Speak up, show up, and develop lines of empathy. To be a better change maker is to understand all the different avenues of change it takes to get things done.”

00:00 Intro to Deb

01:44 From farmhouse to the White House: be relentless, speak up, show up

06:30 How empathy and a diverse set of experiences can help you find your “zone of genius”

09:21 Why school nutrition reform can spark system-wide change

13:03 Focusing on the long view and the direction of travel

15:35 Embracing collective responsibility to drive meaningful systems change

18:20 Complexity and the impending food crisis

21:01 Why trust, accountability, and collaboration are key to impactful change

25:10 Deb’s advice: embrace uncomfortable spaces, focus on your strengths, and keep pushing forward

28:25 Takeaways for changemakers

Links

• FoodCorps
• Let's Move! Initiative
• AmeriCorps
• ASU Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems
• Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

Keep in Touch

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*The views expressed by the guests in this podcast don't necessarily represent the host’s views, nor those of his employer.

Olivia Thomas is a registered dietitian, entrepreneur, and the co-founder of “Rewire Health”, a culinary medicine platform that simplifies healthy home cooking and expands access to teaching kitchens. In this episode, Olivia shares her experiences building a culinary medicine startup, including how active listening and a multidisciplinary approach can lead to impact-focused solutions.

Olivia Thomas: “We need to be focusing on how resources, especially within food as medicine, can be used to reinvest into disinvested communities... I have been redefining how I work on projects based on the impacts. What foods am I marketing? Who is it benefiting? How is the data being used? And the idea of sovereignty is important and making sure that it aligns with the communities we're focusing on and working with.”

00:00 Intro to Olivia

01:09 From childhood cooking to culinary medicine

02:13 How food-based interventions help manage chronic disease

04:50 Overview of Rewire Health from pitch to startup

07:58 Cultivating a culinary medicine platform

09:49 Enabling personally relevant food choices

11:22 Investing in local communities to impact the whole food system

12:30 Embracing change and using technology to stay ahead

14:24 Why navigating complex systems requires a multidimensional approach

17:00 The role of collaboration and community building

18:14 Using culturally affirming recipes to empower choice

20:51 Accelerating behavior change with personalization, practice, and insight

23:37 Shifting perspectives on the role of food’s impact on health

25:44 Creating sustainable habits

28:15 Redefining problem-solving

29:23 How active listening builds trust and drives impact

30:13 Looking towards the future of culinary medicine

32:23 Takeaways for changemakers

Links

• Rewire Health
• Pursuit App
• Boston Medical Center’s Teaching Kitchen
• The Teaching Kitchen Collaborative
• Corbin Hill Food Project
• Boston Medical Center: Eat to Treat

Keep in Touch

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*The views expressed by the guests in this podcast don't necessarily represent the host’s views, nor those of his employer.

Jack Bobo is the Director of the University of Nottingham’s Food Systems Institute which brings together transdisciplinary researchers to address some of the most pressing food systems challenges. He is also the author of the 2021 book “Why smart people make bad food choices.” In this episode, Jack shares how breaking down silos can foster collaboration, why reframing your thinking can help navigate tradeoffs, and how small shifts in language can impact people’s perceptions.

Jack Bobo: “I believe less in right and wrong and good and bad, and more in thinking in terms of choices and consequences. And if you can help to lay out the consequences of actions, I think in many ways you can lead people to knowledge instead of sort of beating them up with science. Researchers and academics love to tell people what to do and they like to tell them the answer. I think it's much better to be able to help people to understand the consequences of different choices. And then you may end up getting a different outcome, but at least they understand the consequences of it and it's an informed decision.”

00:00 Intro to Jack

01:14 Overview of the University of Nottingham’s Food Systems Institute

03:44 Taking a systems approach to lead global change

05:18 Why consensus is important for problem solving

06:45 Addressing the “language barrier” in food systems solutions

08:38 How shifting from “should” to “could” focuses on opportunities and solutions

11:40 Leading people to knowledge by framing the consequences of choices

13:56 Building trust by understanding confirmation bias and the misleading nature of our brains

17:38 The paradox of improved nutrition research and rising obesity rates

20:00 How to overcome the invisible influences on food choices

23:14 Changing the food system by focusing on social norms

25:51 The importance of word choice for effective change making

27:59 Why networking and storytelling are life skills

29:39 Balancing the continuum of local vs. global sustainability

31:37 Takeaways for changemakers

Links

• University of Nottingham Food Systems Institute
• The Nature Conservancy
• Book: Why smart people make bad food choices
• TEDx: Why We Fear the Food We Eat
• Futurity Food

Keep in Touch

Subscribe, rate, review the show at foodlabtalk.com

Follow Food Lab talk on YouTube and LinkedIn

*The views expressed by the guests in this podcast don't necessarily represent the host’s views, nor those of his employer.