Solving a “Dumb Problem” with Last Mile Food Rescue

In this powerful episode of On The Fly!, host Joan Kaup sits down with Eileen MacDermott Budo, CEO of Last Mile Food Rescue, to unpack how a bold idea, smart logistics, and community-powered technology are transforming food waste into meals for neighbors across Greater Cincinnati.Eileen shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Last Mile Food Rescue evolved from a rocky early concept into a tech-enabled nonprofit that has rescued more than 14 million pounds of fresh, healthy food—preventing waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and delivering over 12 million meals to people facing food insecurity. Drawing on her background at Procter & Gamble and the U.S. Air Force, Eileen explains why execution, logistics, and human connection are just as important as a mission.From volunteer drivers using their own cars, to dispatch teams managing rescues in real time, to large-scale event recovery at festivals like Taste of Cincinnati and Oktoberfest, this conversation highlights how innovation and people come together to solve what Eileen calls a “dumb problem” – good food going to landfills while people go hungry.Listen to hear about:Why food waste is both an environmental and social crisis—and how rescuing just 25% could eliminate food insecurityHow Last Mile Food Rescue blends technology and human relationships to scale impactThe logistics behind real-time food rescue and volunteer coordinationWhat it takes to grow a nonprofit from a kitchen-table idea into a regional operationHow mobile markets are bringing free, fresh food directly into underserved neighborhoodsWhy failure, pivots, and the right partners were critical to Last Mile’s successTo learn more about Last Mile Food Rescue, visit lastmilefoodrescue.org to explore how technology, volunteers, and partnerships are helping redirect surplus food to neighbors who need it most. At Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, we believe stories like Eileen’s show what’s possible when mission-driven leaders combine purpose with execution. Learn how Flywheel supports social entrepreneurs, builds strong leadership teams, and helps bold ideas take flight at flywheelcincinnati.org.