Episode Summary
Executive Summary: Jasmine Crowe, founder/CEO of Gooder, explains how volunteering to feed unhoused people in Atlanta led her to discover the scale of food waste and build a for-profit B Corp using logistics and software to redirect surplus food to people in need. The conversation covers Gooder’s evolution, customer traction, economics, climate impact, policy needs, and the funding and hiring needed to scale.
Main Topics: Origin story: from street feeding to company formation: Crowe began cooking for unhoused people in 2013, then realized the broader food waste problem after researching donated food and surplus disposal, which inspired Gooder in 2016-2017. Gooder’s business model and product evolution: Gooder positions itself as a sustainable food waste management company that uses technology and logistics to collect surplus food, with initial thinking shaped by app-based marketplace models and later refined through customer learning. Customer adoption, traction, and operating model: The company focused on large, concentrated food sources such as airports, hospitals, sports venues, and university systems, building an efficient pickup network using third-party logistics instead of owning vehicles. Food waste as a climate issue: Crowe argues food waste is a major climate lever because landfilled food generates methane; she links Gooder’s mission to emissions reduction, water savings, and landfill diversion. Policy and regulatory tailwinds: She emphasizes that meaningful scale requires policy changes, citing emerging mandates in places like California, New York, Austin, and Boston that require diversion of food waste from landfills. Capital, equity, and team growth: Crowe discusses being underfunded as a Black woman founder in a niche sector, the company’s profitability, and the need for more capital to hire, expand products, and enter new markets. Where help is needed: Gooder is seeking talent, investors aligned with climate/impact, and more customers and municipal support to expand its footprint.
Key Arguments: Food waste and hunger are connected logistics problems, not scarcity problems: enough food exists, but it must be diverted efficiently to the right people. A for-profit model is better suited than a nonprofit because businesses already pay to dispose of food, and the selling proposition is a business case, not philanthropy. Large, centralized food generators are the most efficient customers because they produce enough volume to justify pickup and analytics. Gooder’s value proposition combines cost savings, tax benefits, compliance support, and sustainability reporting, not just charitable impact. Food waste is a major climate solution area because diversion reduces methane from landfills and improves carbon, water, and waste outcomes. Policy is the biggest external lever: if governments require donation or composting, adoption and market growth accelerate significantly. The company is capital efficient and profitable, but more funding is needed to scale hiring, product development, and geography. Representation in venture funding matters because undercapitalization limits growth for women and people of color founders.
Data Points: MCJ membership community size: more than 1,300 members - Jason’s intro to the MyClimateJourney membership network Year Crowe started feeding people: 2013 - Crowe began cooking and delivering meals to people experiencing homelessness in Atlanta Gooder founded: January 2017 - Jason’s intro and Crowe’s timeline of company formation Food waste in the U.S.: 80 billion pounds per year - Crowe cites the scale of consumer-facing business food waste in the U.S. Initial goal for Gooder: reduce food waste by 15% to feed 25 million Americans - Crowe describes her original mission target Customer growth/retention: relatively no churn - Crowe says current customer relationships have been stable Full-time team size: 13 - Current Gooder staff count Part-time team size: around 26 - Crowe describes broader team including part-time contributors Open roles: 5 - The company is hiring for five new positions Near-term hiring target: 20 employees by end of year - Crowe’s stated staffing goal Next-year hiring target: 40 employees - Crowe’s expected team size next year Markets served: about 12 markets - Gooder’s current operating footprint Expansion goal: 20 markets - Crowe’s target market count Demand network reach: nonprofits in 46 states and 17 countries - Crowe notes strong demand-side reach for donations Typical ROI: 4X ROI for every dollar spent - Crowe explains customer economics and tax savings Waste disposal cost example: $50,000 a month - An example of what some customers reportedly pay in waste bills Funding history: raised money in 2018 and a small bridge round - Crowe summarizes Gooder’s financing rounds Profitability: profitable for over a year - Crowe says Gooder is now cash-flow positive Project Drawdown ranking (4 years ago): food waste listed as number 3 - Crowe references prior climate solution ranking Project Drawdown ranking (last year): food waste listed as number 1 - Crowe notes food waste rose to top climate solution priority Logistics radius: keep food close to source; avoid long-haul redistribution - Crowe explains local diversion strategy
Pivotal Quotes: "hunger is not an issue of scarcity, it's really a matter of logistics." — Jasmine Crowe: Crowe’s core thesis on why food insecurity persists despite abundant surplus food "We are taking a radically different approach to solving hunger and food waste, and that's by putting technology and logistics first." — Jasmine Crowe: Her summary of Gooder’s differentiated business model "I think that's really ultimately where we've got to get to. To a standpoint of, hey, food waste is illegal in this country." — Jasmine Crowe: Crowe’s view that policy enforcement is necessary to drive systemic change
Implications: The episode suggests food waste is both a climate and hunger solution with real near-term commercial potential. It also highlights that policy mandates, better logistics, and more inclusive funding could rapidly accelerate companies like Gooder.