Maen Mahfoud
Founder & CEO
After coming to the U.S. from Syria to pursue medicine at UC Berkeley, Maen Mahfoud was shocked to see the level of food insecurity that permeated the Bay Area, while subsequently, an enormous amount of food went to waste. Knowing the effects of food waste on our climate, he launched Replate in 2016, as a technology-based solution for businesses to donate surplus food to nearby nonprofits. In seven years, Maen has grown the company internationally, now operating across the United States and the Middle East, and serving hundreds of corporations, including Netflix, Boston Consulting Group, Whole Foods, Chipotle, Walmart, and others. Maen and Replate have been featured in Fortune, Business Insider, Fast Company, TMZ, the New York Times, and L.A. Weekly. Maen is a DRK entrepreneur, 2023 recipient of the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, and a Stanford Graduate School of Business rising social entrepreneur. He holds a Master's in Public Health from Imperial College London, a degree in Molecular Biology from UC Berkeley, and a Human-Computer Interaction for User Experience Design Certificate from MIT. Additionally, he was sponsored to further develop leadership acumen in the Harvard Business School’s Executive Program.
Katie Marchini
COO
Katie is the COO at Replate. She coordinates logistics, streamlines systems, and fosters partnerships with donors and recipients. Why Replate? She loves being part of an impactful organization that is helping to alleviate food waste and hunger. In addition to reading one book per week, Katie loves to cook, bake, hike, travel, and spend time with family.
Anchit Desai
CTO
As Replate’s CTO, Anchit builds out products by adding & tweaking features, manages processes within the engineering team, monitors the app and makes necessary fixes. He is inspired to work at Replate because he believes that all human beings should have access to food, especially when food is available. Previously, he’s worked as a software engineer at companies in London, Mumbai, New York, Dallas, and San Francisco. Anchit spends most evenings running and will redeem the training by participating in track meets, mostly competing in the 400 and/or the 800 meter races. He also enjoys watching cricket matches and documentaries.
Mimi Bestwick
CFO
As CFO, Mimi is responsible for Replate’s financial strategy and fundraising efforts. She is passionate about contributing to the intersection of social and environmental impact through food recovery. Prior to Replate, Mimi built expertise in financial management, impact investing, and earned her MBA in social entrepreneurship. By leveraging this skillset with her desire to improve community and environmental outcomes, Mimi is eager to serve Replate's mission alongside the team. Apart from her work, Mimi enjoys spending time in nature, practicing astrology, and learning about holistic health.
Jess Bradley
Product Manager
As Product Manager, Jess is enthusiastic about facilitating the distribution of surplus food to organizations that will put it to good use. They have volunteered for several food rescue nonprofits in the past and are happy to be part of the team at Replate. Their professional background spans technical product, project, operations, and business management. In their free time, Jess can be found climbing, enjoying nature, and cooking with their kid at home.
Théa Ryan
Partnerships Lead
Théa is Replate’s Partnerships Lead, working to match food donors with community organizations. Originally from Montréal, she has worked in business development across many fields, including urban beekeeping, AI, and ceramics. Food is a life-long passion of hers and she is delighted to contribute to Replate’s growth. In her spare time, Théa loves discovering fruit trees in her neighborhood, learning new sashiko stitches and spending time with her cat, Pina.
Mehran Navabi
Senior Data Scientist
Mehran is a Senior Data Scientist at Replate. With experience in using data science to drive operational and product growth, he believes there is a valuable opportunity in using data science to understand how our resources can be best allocated to reduce food waste and alleviate food insecurity. Mehran enjoys spending his free time traveling, experiencing different cultures, and being outdoors.
Hachem Mahfoud
Go-to-Market Strategy Lead
Hachem defines himself as a designer passionately dedicated to collaboration and the sharing of ideas. With over 10 years of experience in architecture, design and strategy, and an MBA in Design Strategy from California College of the Arts, Hachem believes in taking risks, fostering collaborative cultures and encouraging innovation. He is passionate about translating world problems into effective solutions by creating new systems and merging business principles with design.
Emily Black
Director of Operations
Emily serves as Replate’s Director of Operations. She began her career as a librarian, and pivoted to start-up operations after moving from Boston to the Bay Area. She became a trusted and integral part of day-to-day management for companies during their “hockey-stick growth” eras, gaining valuable insight into the process and execution of new organizations. Most recently, Emily began consulting for newly formed, mission-driven companies; building concise tech stacks, formalizing processes, and documenting SOPs. After a decade in operations, Emily has come to realize that a generalist’s true specialty is a passion for learning, and advocates for generalists in all industries.
Marquise Dockery
Operations Coordinator
As a native of California’s central valley, Marquise has always wanted to make his state a more equitable place. Food insecurity is a major issue here, and working in Operations gives him a hands-on way of mitigating its impact. He has a background in logistics and customer service, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Marquise loves blogging, gaming, and studying other cultures!
Cory Blair
Operations Coordinator
Cory is an Operations Coordinator and has dedicated his professional life to service through local and federal emergency management agencies, disaster recovery and environmental remediation. He holds a Bachelors degree in Emergency Management from Arkansas Tech University which provides him with the skills and knowledge to effectively manage operations in challenging environments. Cory believes in being the change you wish to see in the world. In his free time he enjoys adventure motorcycling, travel, attending concerts and outdoor adventures.
