Revolution Foods Wins Global Social Venture Competition

Serving healthy home-style school lunches in the San Francisco Bay Area earned the Berkeley MBA team Revolution Foods the $25,000 grand prize at the eighth annual Global Social Venture Competition on Friday, April 13.

Revolution Foods, based in Emeryville, was founded by Kristin Richmond-Groos and Kirsten Tobey, both MBA 06, has successfully replaced tater tots and mystery meats with meals such as spaghetti marinara, couscous, brown rice, and fresh fruit at nine charter schools since its founding in August 2006. The venture's deliveries have doubled to 1,500 meals per day since August and are expected to double again before the year's end. Revolution Foods also provides nutrition education and technical support to the schools they serve.

Despite using mostly organic foods, Revolution Foods is able to provide its service at prices comparable to larger competitors. Creating a scalable and profitable business that also returns a positive social impact — healthier foods, higher awareness of the foods children eat and, in the long run, less obesity — is the very definition of a social venture. Revolution Foods also engages in environmentally responsible practices such as composting, provides benefits to employees, and pays above-living wage compensation.