Robert is the founder and CEO of L.A. Kitchen, which recovers locally sourced, cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables to fuel a culinary arts job training program for men and women coming out of foster care and older men and women returning from incarceration.

He has been a leader in the food recovery/job training/social enterprise movement since 1989, when he founded the D.C. Central Kitchen, which he led for 24 years. Collectively, these businesses have used donated food to produce over 40 million meals, and helped over 1,600 men and women gain full-time employment. Robert is an award winning author (Begging for Change, HarperCollins), and a sought after speaker on subjects ranging from innovation, leadership, the role of nonprofits and social enterprise.