Key Insights from the 2025 Reducetarian Summit

Earlier this fall, I had the opportunity to attend the Reducetarian Summit — a two-day gathering of nonprofit executives, public health leaders, academics, tech innovators, environmental advocates, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs.

While the Summit centered on plant-forward eating and reducing reliance on industrial animal agriculture, the deeper conversations were about something much bigger:
How to create systems-level change in complex, interconnected environments.

Here are five lessons that continue to resonate with me — not only for food-system transformation, but for nonprofit and philanthropic leaders across all sectors.

1. Progress doesn’t require perfection — and incremental change matters.

The Summit opened with four guiding principles from the Reducetarian Foundation that immediately struck me:

1. It’s not all or nothing

2. Incremental change is worthy of celebration

3. All motivations matter

4. We’re all on the same team

These principles may be about food, but they apply to any leadership or organizational change effort. Strategy is not implemented in giant leaps — it’s implemented through small, consistent actions that build momentum.

Incremental progress is still progress — and often, it’s what sustains long-term change.

2. Systems change requires coordinated, cross-functional execution.

One message came through clearly across panels: We cannot “shop our way” out of systemic problems.

Consumer behavior is only one lever. Durable change relies on:

• policy and legislation

• effective implementation

• transparency and accountability

• cross-sector collaboration

• aligned incentives

• sustained community engagement

This mirrors what we see across the nonprofit sector:
Lasting impact happens when actions across organizations, policymakers, and communities reinforce each other.

3. Innovation thrives at the intersection of disciplines.

From next-generation materials to sustainable oils and fats to biotech advancements, the Summit showcased how innovation flourishes when people with different expertise solve problems together.

Food science + public health.
Environmentalism + entrepreneurship.
Technology + community organizing.
Philanthropy + movement building.

Complex problems require multi-disciplinary solutions — and creativity often emerges at the intersections.

4. Community-rooted solutions are powerful — and often overlooked.

Two Atlanta-based organizations stood out for their work at the community level:

• Good Samaritan Health Center

A nonprofit health clinic in Bankhead that integrates medical care, a teaching farm, nutrition education, and a community market.

• Wholesome Wave Georgia

The only organization in the state that doubles SNAP benefits, improving access to fresh, local foods while supporting local farmers.

Both organizations demonstrate what it looks like to design solutions that honor community needs, values, and lived experiences.

Community-centered innovation is not just effective — it’s essential.

5. Strategy is only as strong as the funding behind it.

During one-on-one conversations, nonprofit leaders shared a challenge I hear frequently in my consulting work: It’s difficult to plan or execute strategically without confidence in multi-year funding.

This barrier doesn’t just impact program delivery — it affects:

• staffing

• long-term planning

• board alignment

• operational stability

• the ability to invest in innovation or infrastructure

Multi-year, flexible funding isn’t a luxury; it is a prerequisite for meaningful strategy execution.

What I’m Taking With Me From the Summit

Whether we’re talking about food systems, climate resilience, public health, animal welfare, or community development, the lessons are the same:

• Change takes time.

• Collaboration is essential.

• Innovation requires cross-disciplinary teamwork.

• Community wisdom is invaluable.

• Strategy demands stability.

Most of all, the Reducetarian Summit reminded me that compassion is not just a value — it’s a strategic advantage.

If you were at the Summit, I’d love to hear what resonated most for you.
If you weren’t, I hope these insights spark your own reflection on the systems you’re working to change.