Hunger is actually a solvable problem.”

After 27 years at the Food Research & Action Center, Crystal FitzSimons now leads FRAC into the next chapter of its more than 50-year story.

She joins Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson to talk about the values that shaped her, the research and policies that can change lives, dignity, political will—and why one of the best things we can do for children is make sure their parents aren’t parenting hungry.

A powerful conversation with one of the nation’s leading voices in the fight against hunger.

Matt Habash has spent more than four decades challenging one of the biggest assumptions in hunger relief: that success is measured by how much food we distribute.

Under his leadership, the Mid-Ohio Food Collective became one of the most innovative organizations in the Feeding America network—using data, healthcare, technology, public policy and community partnerships to better understand not just where hunger exists, but why.

His philosophy is captured in one unforgettable line: “We’re not going to food bank our way out of hunger.”

In this episode, Matt shares the experiences, ideas and lessons behind a 42-year career of asking better questions, listening deeply and refusing to accept that the way things are is the way they have to remain.

Because innovation isn’t simply about having new ideas.

It’s about never becoming too experienced to keep learning.

What if the real work of fighting hunger isn’t simply filling empty bellies — but helping people build a future?

Cyndi Kirkhart, CEO of Facing Hunger Food Bank, takes us down the country roads of Appalachia, where resilience runs deep and every plate has a story. From a seven-year-old boy turning ketchup packets into tomato soup for his little brother to a food bank determined to reach people across some of America’s most rural communities, this conversation will change the way you think about hunger, dignity and home.

Take hunger out of the picture — and imagine what becomes possible.

In communities where everybody knows your name, asking for help can be one of the hardest things a person ever does. Lori Dykstra, CEO of Feeding South Dakota, shares how lived experience, rural leadership, and a deep commitment to dignity are shaping a new conversation about hunger, humility, and what it truly means to care for our neighbors.

What if we’ve been looking at food insecurity through only one lens?

Dr. Christopher Harris joins Food Secure Nation to explore how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Person-in-Environment framework complement one another. Rather than choosing between personal responsibility and systemic change, this conversation challenges us to see both—and to ask better questions that lead to stronger, more lasting solutions.

This conversation won’t simply change how you think about hunger. It may change how you think about people.

How does America really think about food security? Join Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson as they welcome Feeding America Chief Government Relations Officer Rebeckah Freeman Adcock for a candid conversation about leadership, public policy, and the partnerships required to build a food-secure nation. This is a rare look behind the curtain at one of the most important conversations shaping America’s future.

About This Episode

After more than a decade of hosting Food for Thought and Food First Michigan, Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson reflect on why they joined with Ryan Hoyle to launch No Better Do Better (KBDB), LLC and expand the conversation nationally through Food Secure Nation.

Drawing on more than 80 years of combined leadership experience, they explore why creating a food-secure nation requires more than doing more of what has always been done. It requires leaders willing to refocus on today's realities, reset how success is measured, and reestablish a vision centered on dignity, agency, and lasting outcomes.

The episode introduces the Six Dimensions of Food Security as a framework for the next generation of innovation, arguing that the future will be shaped not simply by the amount of food distributed, but by the lasting difference that food makes in people's lives. It is a conversation about leadership, learning, and why changing the conversation is the first step toward changing the future.

As Dr. Dawn Opel begins a new chapter in her career, Food Secure Nation reflects on six and a half years of partnership, innovation, and leadership. Through the lens of Better Together, Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, and Dr. Opel explore how influence, insight, innovation, and integrity create stronger teams, better solutions, and lasting impact. It’s a conversation about gratitude, leadership, and why the greatest accomplishments are never achieved alone.

What happens when success is no longer enough?

Retiring Freestore Foodbank CEO Kurt Reiber joins Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson to discuss leadership, legacy, and his journey from banking and law to nonprofit leadership. The episode also introduces Veera, Food Secure Nation's new AI Research Analyst, who explores research on the growing movement of business leaders pursuing purpose-driven careers in the nonprofit sector.

Triada Stampas is a systems thinker who has high policy intelligence along with a strong desire to learn and that makes her a perfect candidate to help lead this work to the next threshold of food security.