HIBT Lab! Goodr: Jasmine Crowe-Houston

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Jasmine Crowe-Houston explains how Gooder grew from her direct, dignity-centered food giveaways in Atlanta into a for-profit logistics company that recovers surplus food from businesses and redistributes it to nonprofits. The episode frames food waste as both a hunger and climate problem, and argues that technology and market incentives can make redistribution scalable.

Main Topics: From direct service to systems thinking: Crowe-Houston started by feeding unhoused people restaurant-style meals through Sunday Soul, then realized hunger was a year-round structural issue, not an episodic charity problem. Food waste as a national crisis: The conversation emphasizes that a massive share of U.S. food is discarded across farms, stores, events, and logistics chains, while millions remain food insecure. Why Gooder is a for-profit: Crowe-Houston argues a for-profit model fits the economics of waste hauling, tax incentives, and sustainability goals better than a donation-dependent nonprofit structure. Building a logistics platform: Gooder was designed like a reverse delivery network, with software, drivers, nonprofit receivers, documentation, and sustainability reporting all tied together. Food safety and local compliance: The company manages perishability by moving food quickly, relying on cold storage at partner nonprofits, and adapting to county-by-county health rules. Growth, partnerships, and policy tailwinds: Pandemic-era adaptations, corporate ESG priorities, and emerging state laws encouraging donation or recycling have expanded Gooder’s opportunity.

Key Arguments: Hunger is not seasonal; people who need food in November also need food in October and every other month. The real bottleneck is logistics: surplus food exists, but systems to collect and redistribute it efficiently are weak. A for-profit model works because businesses already pay to dispose of surplus food, so Gooder can replace waste hauling with value-generating recovery. Technology can make food donation easier, faster, and more auditable than traditional charity distribution. Food waste has climate consequences because rotting food in landfills produces methane emissions. Gooder creates value for businesses through tax deductions, ESG benefits, and lower waste-disposal costs. A scalable food-recovery model can reduce hunger far more effectively than isolated meals or ad hoc charity drives.

Data Points: Americans with insufficient food: 34 million - Crowe-Houston cites the number of Americans who do not have enough to eat. Children among the food insecure: several million - The intro notes that millions of food-insecure Americans are children. U.S. food wasted: 40% - The episode states that 40% of food produced in the United States is thrown away. Food wasted in pounds: 80 billion pounds - Crowe-Houston cites the annual amount of food discarded in the U.S. Sunday Soul meal volume: 350 to 500 people - She describes the number of people served at each Sunday Soul event. Sunday Soul prep timeline: shopping on Wednesday, cooking on Friday, event on Sunday - She explains the weekly production workflow for the pop-up meals. Food waste reduction goal: 15% - Crowe-Houston says Gooder’s goal is to reduce food waste by 15%. People that reduction could feed: 25 million Americans - She estimates a 15% reduction in food waste could feed about 25 million people. Cities served: about 34 cities - She says Gooder is operating in roughly 34 cities. Expected ROI for clients: 4 to 10X - She says customers often see a 4–10x return from donated food value relative to what they pay Gooder. Example donation value: $20,000 to $30,000 - Crowe-Houston estimates the Walmart rescue event saved that amount of food from landfills. Nonprofit donations example: $100 million in one year - She references a local food bank receiving roughly this amount in donations, contrasting it with Gooder’s leaner model.

Pivotal Quotes: "the people that are standing in line for a turkey in November are also hungry in October" — Jasmine Crowe-Houston: She explains why hunger should be understood as a year-round issue, not a holiday-driven one. "Who’s going to build something for the have-nots, the millions of people that don’t know where their next meal is coming from?" — Jasmine Crowe-Houston: She describes the realization that led her from observing food delivery innovation to founding Gooder. "Why would we not want to use technology to do something like reduce food waste and solve hunger?" — Jasmine Crowe-Houston: She responds to critics who questioned using a tech-enabled for-profit company to address hunger.

Implications: The episode suggests food insecurity and food waste can be tackled together through logistics, tech, and policy. If more companies adopt recovery systems, communities could gain cheaper access to food while landfills and emissions shrink.