Neel Ghose is the founder of the Robin Hood Army, a zero-funds volunteer-based organization that is using food redistribution as a medium to connect with others and solve for the problem of excess food at restaurants, grocery stores, and other foodservice settings. Through the power of people, Robin Hood Army has scaled to reach more than 400 cities in 13 countries. On this episode of “Food Lab Talk,” Michiel speaks with Neel about what inspired him to begin the Robin Hood Army, how he and his colleagues have maintained the mission of the organization as it grows to include millions of Robins around the world, and his advice for “thinking less and doing more.” 

Neel Ghose: “I generally feel that food builds trust. If you’re serving someone week on week, month on month, year on year, it ceases to be charity and it becomes more about community.” 

01:26 Intro on Neel and Robin Hood Army 

07:26 Getting outside your comfort zone 

14:04 Founding and scaling the Robin Hood Army 

19:00  How to be a leader in a decentralized organization 

24:38 Codifying culture, managing conflicts and setting aside your ego 

29:50 The “why” and “how” behind a zero-funds organization 

32:24 Power of partnerships 

34:26 Building teams that drive growth and expansion 

Links 

• Learn more about Robin Hood Army 
• Join the Robin Hood Army 
• Harvard Business School: The Robin Hood Army 

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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.