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.
Courtney Garcia
Head of Communications
Courtney is Replate’s Head of Communications, where she produces content that creatively executes the vision and story of the organization. Courtney loves working in a space where innovation, entertainment and social justice collide. She’s an outdoor enthusiast, avid traveler and vegan, as well as a professor of digital media and podcast producer. She believes in the power of storytelling to create new connections, build community and open minds, and has worked for over a decade in television, journalism and education. In her spare time, Courtney is either jogging through Central Park, reading nonfiction or drawing amateur cartoons for her Instagram.
Lisa Barr
Business Development Manager
Lisa is Replate’s Business Development Manager. She onboards food donors and recipient partners and works to meet the needs of all clients. She’s driven by seeing results and impact in the areas of food insecurity and climate change. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring new areas to hike with her dog, hunting for vintage gold in LA’s thrift shops, volunteering locally, and listening to records.
Emily Black
Operations Manager
Emily serves as Replate’s Operations Manager. 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.
Sarah Brecher
Lead of Strategic Partnerships
Sarah is a Partnerships Associate at Replate. She works to grow partnerships and meet all needs of our amazing food donors. Having studied Human Biology and Society, she is passionate about the intersection of food systems and public health. Sarah is thrilled to join such an innovative team as Replate and work to address the interconnected issues of food access, food waste, and climate change. In her free time, Sarah loves going to her local farmers markets, baking sourdough, and hopes to visit all 50 states (she's currently at 37)!
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!
Jess Bradley
Operations Coordinator
As Operations Coordinator, 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 redistribution 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.
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, along with 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.
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.
Caitlin Phan
QA Engineering Intern
Caitlin is Replate's QA Engineering Intern. She is inspired to help feed the community because she believes good food sets the mood for the day. In her free time, she enjoys cooking for friends, being outdoors, and boxing.
Hanna Hamilton
Data Science Volunteer
Hanna is a Data Science Volunteer at Replate. Her focus is on analytics, data visualization, and automation of data processes for internal reports. She is passionate about leveraging technology to combat the climate crisis and help people in need. In her free time, Hanna enjoys reading, practicing yoga, and exploring the great outdoors.