Spotlight: Mark Brand
Mark Brand is a pioneering chef and entrepreneur in the field of Social Impact and Community Development. Along with leading his five organizations, Brand is a Stanford fellow, Professor of Innovation and Design Thinking, has served as executive chef for the American Refugee Committee and Pope Francis's Climate Challenge, served as Entrepreneur in Residence for The City of Sydney Australia, and received Canada’s Golden Jubilee Medal for service to his country and community.
“I care deeply about humans. As the individual and as the collective, if we are unhealthy, our community is unhealthy. If our community is unhealthy, our environment is unhealthy. And if our environment is unhealthy? Our planet is unhealthy and so is our future.
It all starts with food. Food is our last best hope to stay connected as a global community. Food is a conduit to the love we need to rethink our systems, drive change, and engage those who need us most.”
Mark Brand is a trailblazing chef and entrepreneur in the fields of social impact and community development. Having created a dozen brick and mortar businesses and a multinational charity, his leadership extends across multiple domains, all focused around food security, cross sector collaboration, and poverty reduction.
Beyond his entrepreneurial endeavours, Brand's influence is felt in the realms of education and innovation. As a Stanford fellow and Professor of innovation and design thinking, he has played a pivotal role in advancing knowledge and fostering creative problem-solving in the filed of social impact.
His work has reached into partnerships globally with roles as the executive chef for the American Refugee Committee and Pope Francis's Climate Challenge, as well as his tenure as Entrepreneur in Residence for The City of Sydney Australia. These experiences underscore his belief in global solutions from grassroots experiences, further reinforced by his receipt of Canada’s Golden Jubilee Medal in recognition of his exceptional service to his country and community.
In addition to his impact organizations and partnership initiatives, Brand has recently launched “BETTER,” an iHeart Original radio show and podcast. Through this platform, he shares stories and experiences that inspire positive change, equipping individuals with the tools to lead better lives, beyond rhetoric.
Brand's diverse contributions, from culinary entrepreneurship to international advocacy, exemplify his resilience, leadership, and unwavering commitment to creating a better world through collaboration, compassion, and innovation.
At the core of his work lies a profound belief in the power of true partnership and collaboration. Brand advocates that only through genuine collaboration can the successes needed for a better world be achieved, encapsulated in his mantra that "there is no 'Us and Them, only Us."