Topic: Economic Vulnerability

red arrow pointing right

This Week's Episode

In this episode of Food Secure Nation, Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson sit down with Triada Stampas, President and CEO of Fulfill Food Bank in New Jersey, for a conversation that challenges how we think about solving hunger in America.

Triada brings a unique perspective shaped by her journey through public policy, government oversight, and food banking leadership. What began as an investigation into SNAP access in New York City became a defining moment—revealing how systems, not effort, often stand between families and the food they need. That insight continues to shape her approach today.

At Fulfill, Triada is leading with a mindset that goes beyond food distribution to focus on outcomes, equity, and long-term food security. She shares how her organization is balancing scale with proximity—being large enough to influence systems, yet close enough to understand community-level impact. From zip code-level strategies to a deeper focus on the “edges” where people are often missed, her work highlights the tension between efficiency and effectiveness in the charitable food system.

This episode explores the difference between addressing hunger and creating food security, the role of policy in shaping outcomes, and the kind of leadership required to question systems that may be producing exactly the results they were designed to deliver.

It’s a conversation about perspective, courage, and the willingness to ask a harder question: not just how we do more—but whether we should be doing something different.

red arrow pointing right

On This Episode

Triada’s story begins far from traditional food banking. Drawn first to medicine, then public policy, then politics, she found her way into the work through a New York City investigation into SNAP access. What she discovered changed the trajectory of her career: families were struggling to afford food while billions in federal nutrition benefits were being left unused because systems had been designed with barriers instead of access. That realization hooked her.

Her leadership reflects a rare combination of policy intelligence, human curiosity, and systems thinking. Raised in Queens in a deeply multicultural community and trained in both social anthropology and public policy, Triada brings a wide worldview to food banking — one that balances data with dignity and numbers with the real lives behind them.

At Fulfill, that perspective is shaping a food bank that is big enough to operate at a systems level, but small enough to see what is happening community by community. Triada described Fulfill’s work at the zip-code level, asking not simply how to move more food, but whether food and resources are reaching the places that are easiest to miss. Her insight was clear: efficiency matters, but if the work only aims for the middle, the most vulnerable people may remain on the edges.

The conversation sharpened a core truth for Food Secure Nation: food insecurity will not be solved by effort alone. Food banks are working hard, but leadership must be willing to question whether the systems we have built are producing the outcomes we say we want. Triada Stampas represents the kind of leader this moment requires — thoughtful, courageous, policy-smart, and unwilling to accept that “more of the same” is enough.

Creating a food secure nation requires leaders who can see the whole system and still notice the edges. That is where the next level of the work begins.

Big enough to shape systems.
Small enough to see people.

Triada Stampas

KBDB fish icon in blue
red arrow pointing right

This Week's Guest

Triada Stampas

Triada Stampas is the President and CEO of Fulfill Food Bank, where she is helping redefine what it means to create food security at the community level. With a background spanning public policy, government oversight, and hunger advocacy, Triada brings a systems-focused approach to food banking that blends strategy, dignity, and what she calls “policy smarts.”

Before leading Fulfill, Triada held leadership roles at the Food Bank For New York City and Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Her journey into the work began through public service in New York City government, where investigations into SNAP access and systemic barriers to food assistance ignited her passion for fighting hunger at scale. A graduate of Columbia University, Triada combines analytical rigor with a deeply human understanding of the communities food banks serve. She also serves nationally with Feeding America through the Public Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC).

Triada Stampas

President and CEO of Fulfill Food Bank

×

Triada Stampas

President and CEO of Fulfill Food Bank

Triada Stampas is the President and CEO of Fulfill Food Bank, where she is helping redefine what it means to create food security at the community level. With a background spanning public policy, government oversight, and hunger advocacy, Triada brings a systems-focused approach to food banking that blends strategy, dignity, and what she calls “policy smarts.”

Before leading Fulfill, Triada held leadership roles at the Food Bank For New York City and Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Her journey into the work began through public service in New York City government, where investigations into SNAP access and systemic barriers to food assistance ignited her passion for fighting hunger at scale. A graduate of Columbia University, Triada combines analytical rigor with a deeply human understanding of the communities food banks serve. She also serves nationally with Feeding America through the Public Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC).

red arrow pointing right

More Episodes

red arrow pointing right

This Week's Episode

If we’re serious about outcomes, partnership isn’t optional. It’s essential.

In this episode of Food Secure Nation, Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson sit down with Brian McGrain, Executive Director of Michigan Community Action, for a conversation that models the kind of collaboration required to move to the next frontier of food security. Together, they explore how Community Action Agencies and food banks—alongside schools, health systems, and workforce partners—must move beyond parallel efforts and into coordinated, community-driven solutions.

At the center of the conversation is a defining truth: families do not experience our systems separately—they experience whether life works. When systems are disconnected, people are left to navigate the gaps. But when leaders align their strengths, they can blend those systems into coordinated solutions that meet real-life needs.

This episode is an example of what it looks like to lead beyond organizational boundaries—activating the six dimensions of food security in practice, not theory—and a challenge to leaders everywhere: if the goal is real outcomes, then partnership isn’t a strategy. It’s a requirement.

red arrow pointing right

On This Episode

Food security takes shape when communities align around the people they serve. In this episode of Food Secure Nation, Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson welcome Brian McGrain, Executive Director of Michigan Community Action, for a conversation that models the kind of partnership required to move to the next frontier of this work.

McGrain represents 27 Community Action Agencies across Michigan, part of a national network of nearly 1,000 agencies working to address the conditions that keep families in crisis. Serving all 83 counties, these agencies operate across housing, food access, utility assistance, early childhood programs, financial empowerment, and more—bringing a comprehensive, community-based approach to stability and self-sufficiency.

At the center of the conversation is a defining truth: families do not experience our systems separately—they experience whether life works.

A parent trying to put food on the table may also be facing housing instability, rising utility costs, transportation challenges, and wages that are not keeping up with the cost of living. When systems are disconnected, people are left to navigate the gaps. When leaders align their strengths, they can blend those systems into coordinated solutions that meet real-life needs.

That is where real progress happens.

Food banks, Community Action Agencies, health systems, schools, workforce programs, and local leaders each bring something essential. When those strengths are intentionally connected, communities begin to activate the six dimensions of food security—availability, access, utilization, stability, sustainability, and agency. No single organization carries all six, but together, they can.

McGrain highlights that Community Action Agencies are locally governed, deeply connected to the communities they serve, and grounded in lived experience. That perspective ensures that solutions are shaped with people, not simply delivered to them.

The conversation also acknowledges the real-world tension leaders face—local governance, funding structures, contracts, and service boundaries. These realities matter, but they cannot become barriers. The work ahead requires leaders who are willing to navigate the gaps and blend systems into something better for the people depending on them.

The closing challenge is clear: if we’re serious about outcomes, partnership isn’t optional. It’s a requirement.

People don’t experience our programs—they experience whether life works. If we’re making it harder to be poor, it won’t matter who delivers the service—only whether the need gets met.

Brian McGrain

KBDB fish icon in blue
red arrow pointing right

This Week's Guests

Brian McGrain

Brian McGrain is the Executive Director of Michigan Community Action, representing 27 Community Action Agencies serving all 83 counties across the state. Part of a national network, these agencies work across housing, food access, and financial stability to help individuals and families move from crisis toward self-sufficiency.

With more than 20 years of experience in community development and public policy, Brian brings a practical, people-centered approach to his leadership—focused on connecting systems and strengthening communities through collaboration.

Brian McGrain

Executive Director of Michigan Community Action

×

Brian McGrain

Executive Director of Michigan Community Action

Brian McGrain is the Executive Director of Michigan Community Action, representing 27 Community Action Agencies serving all 83 counties across the state. Part of a national network, these agencies work across housing, food access, and financial stability to help individuals and families move from crisis toward self-sufficiency.

With more than 20 years of experience in community development and public policy, Brian brings a practical, people-centered approach to his leadership—focused on connecting systems and strengthening communities through collaboration.

red arrow pointing right

More Episodes

red arrow pointing right

This Week's Episode

What does food security actually look like when you zoom out and see the whole system?

In this episode, Joree Novotny and Mandy Pullaro return to unpack the six dimensions of food security—not as theory, but as lived reality from a statewide lens. From balancing limited resources with dignity and choice, to redefining the role of people experiencing hunger as partners in the solution, this conversation challenges how we think about impact. Along the way, they connect food insecurity to economic stability, health, and housing—revealing that lasting progress doesn’t come from doing more of the same, but from aligning systems around the people they serve.

red arrow pointing right

On This Episode

In this powerful follow-up conversation, Joree Novotny and Mandy Pullaro move beyond theory and into the real-world tension of building food security across all six dimensions—availability, access, utilization, stability, sustainability, and agency. What becomes clear quickly is this: food security isn’t a checklist—it’s a balancing act.

From their vantage point leading statewide systems, Joree and Mandy unpack the hard truth that these dimensions don’t always align neatly. Limited resources can strain the ability to prioritize dignity and choice. Systems built for emergency response are now carrying the weight of chronic need. And yet, within that tension lies opportunity—if we’re willing to rethink the system itself.

A defining theme of the episode is agency—not as a luxury, but as a multiplier. When people experiencing hunger are treated as participants rather than recipients, outcomes improve—not just for individuals, but for entire households and systems. The conversation challenges long-held assumptions and reframes food insecurity as deeply connected to economic stability, health, and housing—not just food supply.

The episode also brings a powerful shift in perspective: the people we serve are not problems to be solved—they are essential partners in the solution. Through listening sessions, policy engagement, and lived-experience storytelling, both leaders demonstrate how systems become more effective when they are built with people, not for them.

And then comes the gut-check: we reveal what we truly believe by how we behave. Whether it’s how we treat donors, partners, or neighbors seeking support, the system reflects our values in action. That question lingers—and it should.

This episode doesn’t offer easy answers. Instead, it offers something more valuable: a clearer lens. One that shows food security as an interconnected system requiring alignment, humility, and leadership at every level.

Because when those six dimensions begin to move together—that’s when transformation becomes possible.

Our network was built for emergencies—but today, we’re part of people’s ongoing strategy for stability.

Mandy Pullaro

KBDB fish icon in blue
red arrow pointing right

This Week's Guest

Joree Novotny

Executive Director, Ohio Association of Food Banks

Joree Novotny leads the Ohio Association of Food Banks, where she works at the intersection of policy, partnership, and large-scale food distribution to strengthen food security across the state. A respected voice in the national hunger relief network, Joree is known for aligning diverse stakeholders—from food banks to government leaders—around practical solutions that improve access and outcomes for families. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to systems change, ensuring that resources move not just efficiently, but with purpose and impact.

Mandy Pullaro

Chief Executive Officer, Feeding Colorado

Mandy Pullaro serves as CEO of Feeding Colorado, where she brings together a statewide network of food banks to advance coordinated solutions to hunger. With a strong focus on collaboration, advocacy, and innovation, Mandy helps bridge the gap between local service and statewide strategy. She is recognized for elevating the role of state associations as critical connectors—turning shared insight into unified action that strengthens the entire food security system.

red arrow pointing right

More Episodes

red arrow pointing right

This Week's Episode

Gerry and Phil sit down with Virginia Witherspoon, the Executive leading Channel One Food Bank in MN.

She chairs the National Advisory Committee for Feeding America. Lawery, CEO and Chairperson – 3 Chairs, Unique Perspectives from Virginia Witherspoon.

 

red arrow pointing right

On This Episode

What happens when one leader sees the food security system from three different vantage points at once?

In this episode of Food Secure Nation, Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson sit down with Virginia Witherspoon to explore how legal training, local leadership, and national governance intersect in a system under pressure.

From navigating post-pandemic resource challenges to rethinking how dignity shapes service delivery, this conversation offers a rare look at how real decisions are made—and what it will take to build a stronger, more aligned national response to hunger.

Dignity is free. It costs nothing to welcome someone well, trust them, and treat them like a shopper instead of a client.

Virginia Witherspoon

KBDB fish icon in blue
red arrow pointing right

This Week's Guest

Virginia Witherspoon serves as CEO of Channel One Regional Food Bank and Chair of the National Advisory Committee for Feeding America. A trained attorney, she brings a unique blend of legal precision, operational leadership, and governance expertise to the fight against hunger. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to dignity, data-informed decision making, and ensuring that the voices of people experiencing food insecurity shape the systems designed to serve them.

Virginia Witherspoon

Executive and Operational Leadership

×

Virginia Witherspoon

Executive and Operational Leadership

Virginia Witherspoon serves as CEO of Channel One Regional Food Bank and Chair of the National Advisory Committee for Feeding America. A trained attorney, she brings a unique blend of legal precision, operational leadership, and governance expertise to the fight against hunger. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to dignity, data-informed decision making, and ensuring that the voices of people experiencing food insecurity shape the systems designed to serve them.

red arrow pointing right

More Episodes