The 2023 Packer 25 — Brody Slacer
Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2023 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. (You can view all honorees here.) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.
Brody Slacer — Head of partner growth, Flashfood
Fighting food waste is important work. What drew you to your role at Flashfood and how will you remain an agent of change?
Growing up on family farms, I had a passion for food my entire life. I started working in the food industry early on — as a sous chef, in sales roles and later in ingredient sourcing. My “eureka” moment came while working at a meal kit company in Canada, where I experienced the food waste problem firsthand, realizing the systems in place to deliver value to consumers are often what drives the problem.
It was around that time I discovered Flashfood and was immediately drawn to the mission, as I saw it as an opportunity to directly address the food waste problem with an immediate and tangible impact on the communities we serve. Not only are we reducing the food sent to landfills, but we’re helping our shoppers get access to affordable, fresh groceries.
In my role at Flashfood, I own the direct relationships with our retailers — ensuring all existing partnerships are driving value for the retailers and their customers and celebrating the accomplishments of our retailer partners. Part of this includes regular visits to our partner stores and walking the floor with both retail executives and every level of store employee. This on-the-ground approach is essential to the success of Flashfood and drives mutually beneficial innovation for retailers and shoppers.
I see this on-the-ground approach as essential to Flashfood’s ability to continue to innovate, by learning directly from the folks who are working within this problem every day. By listening to them, we can continue to build solutions that actually meet their needs.
What’s one produce-related goal you hope to achieve in the next one to three years, and why is this important to you?
I would love to see our industry make efforts to improve the overall accessibility of fresh and affordable produce for the next generation. This includes providing education around the importance of eating nutritious food, and on the role that local food production plays in our communities and our lives.
As our world has become increasingly connected by technology and the global economy, children not only have less affordable access to wholesome food, but less of an understanding of how that food goes from seed to table. I think there are endless benefits to building awareness around the food system, how it impacts our lives, and how much care we should give to keep it alive and thriving.
More about Brody Slacer
Brody Slacer is head of partner growth at Flashfood, an app-based marketplace that strives to eliminate retail food waste by connecting consumers with discounted food nearing its best-by date. Slacer joined Flashfood in 2019 as employee No. 11. He leads retail partnerships and operations, leading the relationships with Flashfood’s retailers by ensuring all existing partnerships are driving value for the retailers and their customers, and celebrating the retailers’ accomplishments.
Slacer grew up sourcing ingredients from farms in southern Ontario, thanks to his family roots in the Greenbelt area where he still resides. After earning a Bachelor of Commerce, Slacer followed his passion for food to the kitchen and became a sous chef. He then moved into sales positions and ultimately led sourcing at Chefs Plate, Canada’s leading meal kit provider. His journey supporting food systems has continued throughout his career to his current role at Flashfood.
