According to the US Department of Agriculture, Americans waste more than $161 billion each year on food, with most of it ending up in landfills. Our guest, interviewed by host Emily Soloby of Juno Jones Shoes, is a creative problem solver on a mission to end this kind of household food waste. Chef Alison Mountford is the founder of ends+stems, a meal planning service designed to reduce food waste and stop the effects of climate change. Alison is a chef by training and a successful culinary entrepreneur. She started one of San Francisco’s first prepared meal delivery systems back in 2005, called Square Meals. She grew Square Meals into a booming cafe and catering company and sold it in 2015. ends+stems, her most recent venture, is even more exciting because of its social and environmental mission. In this debut episode of Hazard Girls™, Alison shares with listeners a bit about her background, her love for food, and her first foray into owning her own business. We talk about gender stereotypes and imbalances in the food industry, and Alison explains how she was able to avoid some of the toxicity. Of course, we also dive into food waste and Alison tells us why she started ends+stems and how it can help you to reduce your own in-house food waste because, surprisingly, homes are the largest source of food waste in the US! Don’t miss this exciting episode with boss chef, Alison Mountford!
Sn. 1, #1 (Re-air) Alison Mountford: Busting Gender Stereotypes and Reducing Food Waste
Emily Soloby
Emily received her BA in Women’s Studies and JD from Temple University. Early on, she worked as a legal advocate for women in domestic violence cases. After practicing law, Emily began working on the business side of things. She is the co-owner of AAA School of Trucking, a truck and heavy equipment safety training firm, which she has spent the last 10 years growing into a thriving national business through government and military contracting and corporate partnerships.
As an executive in the transportation industry, darting from client meeting to trucking range required safety boots that met her style standards, and when she couldn’t find them anywhere, she created Juno Jones Shoes. Emily trained in shoemaking in Cuernavaca, Mexico and at the Brooklyn Shoe Space, and assembled a powerhouse team of designers, consultants, and industry experts to bring Juno Jones to life. Through Juno Jones Shoes, Emily is fulfilling her dream of not only providing women with safe, stylish footwear options for their jobs but of helping to normalize and empower women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
For more information go to junojonesshoes.com.
Alison Mountford
Alison Mountford is the Founder and CEO of Ends+Stems, a meal planning service designed to reduce household food waste and stop the effects of climate change. Alison turned 15 years of professional chef and entrepreneurial experience into a solution to help eliminate both weeknight dinner stress and food waste in one clever step.
Alison is a passionate problem solver and approachable leader with a dual vision; to get households cooking again and to save the planet. Before building Ends+Stems, Alison founded Square Meals in 2005, one of San Francisco’s first prepared meal delivery companies. Square Meals was first to market and helped define the trend of chef-prepared meals delivered to your door.
For 10 years, Alison grew Square Meals into a successful cafe and catering company and had the opportunity to cook for celebrities, politicians, and many influential companies. After selling Square meals, Alison had a short stint as Procurement Director for a food tech company, solidifying her passion for reducing food waste.
Alison has been named a Rubicon Waste Fit Champion, was a finalist for the Roddenberry Foundation fellowship, and has appeared on many podcasts and radio shows, and works as a food waste consultant.
