Topic: Utilization

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This Week's Episode

KBDB’s Influence

Food insecurity in America is not simple, and it is not inevitable. It is a complex, multi-layered, human-made challenge—spread across systems that too often operate independently of one another such as: health care, education, agriculture, philanthropy, and public policy.

Operating in silos we can accomplish a lot of good.  But without a shared understanding of community need, or a common way to measure progress, even good work can produce fragmented results and limited impact.

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On this Episode

KBDB fish icon in blue

"The first responsibility of leadership is to define the problem."

— John Maxwell

Phil and Gerry reflect on what it means to lead in a way that actually produces change. At the heart of that approach is a commitment to meeting people where they are—not where we wish they were. They describe this as leadership by proximity: raising the relationship, honoring dignity, and solving real problems rather than imagined ones. It’s not about lowering expectations; it’s about grounding solutions in lived experience.

One truth anchors this discussion:

If you’re hungry, you only have one problem.

Hunger collapses everything else—learning, healing, working, parenting, and planning for the future. The episode is clear: people experiencing hunger are not lacking character, intelligence, or resilience. Hunger is the barrier. Remove it, and everything else becomes more possible.

The conversation then clarifies the relationship between the two platforms driving progress:

  • Food Secure Nation is the place to listen, reflect, and engage with leaders committed to building a food-secure America. It is a place where you can become familiar with all six dimensions of food security in a conversational and thought-provoking way, learning from people who are doing the work today.
  • Know Better Do Better (KBDB)—through com—is the learning hub that helps people go deeper: framing issues clearly, accessing credible research, and translating understanding into action.

Different tools. One purpose: moving the nation to the next threshold of food security.

Listeners are also introduced to Vera, KBDB’s AI partner—designed not to replace human judgment, but to support it. Vera helps surface reliable information, distinguish evidence from opinion, and meet people at the level of knowledge they need, whether they are just beginning or working at the highest levels of expertise.

The episode closes by introducing two core KBDB frameworks that will guide future conversations:

  • Four Levels of Knowledge: familiar, conversant, experienced, expert
  • Six Dimensions of Food Security: availability, access, utilization, stability, sustainability, and agency—with dignity running through all six

These frameworks exist for one reason: to help people understand where they fit, how they can contribute, and what it means to move from awareness to impact.

KBDB represents the next step in the work—not working harder in isolation, but thinking better together. Food insecurity was created by human systems. That means it can be undone—but only if leaders are willing to define the problem honestly, learn together, and act with intention.

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Additional Resources

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This Week's Episode

Why Food Insecurity Still Exists in America

The United States has more than enough food in aggregate and one of the world’s most sophisticated food systems. Yet food insecurity persists year after year. The reason is not a single failure. It is a set of reinforcing pressures that keep many households one missed paycheck, one medical bill, or one rent increase away from running out of food.

This inaugural episode invites listeners to step back and look honestly at how our food system evolved. From the agricultural breakthroughs that made the United States a global breadbasket, to the birth of food banking as a way to distribute surplus, the system did what it was designed to do. But the world changed—and the conversation didn’t keep up.

Food Secure Nation exists to change that conversation.

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About the Episode

This show begins with a simple but uncomfortable truth: food insecurity is something we created—and therefore something we can solve. Not with slogans. Not with blame. But with better thinking, better alignment, and better courage.

In America, 42 million people live with food insecurity. Not because we lack food—we waste nearly 40% of what we produce—but because access, systems, and priorities don’t line up. Hunger is visible. Food insecurity is quieter, more complex, and far more consequential.

Food insecurity touches everything:

  • A child’s ability to learn
  • A parent’s health and mental well-being
  • A worker’s productivity
  • A community’s stability

And yet, we often talk about it as if it’s someone else’s problem—or worse, a personal failure. It’s neither.

This is not a show about charity. It’s about responsibility. Not about guilt, but possibility.

Not about having all the answers but about asking better questions—together.

We believe dignity matters. Nutrition matters. Consistency matters. And solutions only work when they meet people where they are, without judgment. Solving food insecurity isn’t about doing more of the same; it’s about doing the right things, at the right level, with the right partners.

Our commitment is simple: to bring forward the evidence, the voices, the wisdom, and the urgency needed to prove that food insecurity in America can be solved—and to invite anyone who cares about their community, their workforce, their children, or their future to be part of that work.

Because hunger may be loud—but food insecurity is quieter, deeper, and more dangerous.

And when we know better, we can do better. That’s how we build a Food Secure Nation.

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Know Better

What the numbers say (recent years)

  • Roughly 12 to 14% of U.S. households (over 15 million households, about 40 million people) have experienced food insecurity in recent years.
  • The rate rose sharply after pandemic-era supports tapered and inflation surged: 10.2% (2021) to 12.8% (2022) to 13.5% (2023).
  • More than half of food-insecure households include a full-time worker, showing this is also a working-family issue.

SNAP participation reduces the likelihood of being food insecure by about 30%, but many eligible households are not enrolled, and benefits can fall short by month-end.

 

What it would mean to solve this

“Solved” means that every person can reliably obtain enough nutritious food in every season and region, including when shocks hit. In practice, that would look like:

  • Food insecurity becomes rare, not cyclical. Rates do not spike with recessions, disasters, or policy rollbacks.
  • Disparities narrow and then disappear. Households with children, single-parent families, and Black, Hispanic, and Native American households are no longer systematically more at risk.
  • Support systems catch people quickly. Short-term hardship does not become long-term instability.

 

Why it persists: a system that reinforces itself

Food insecurity is best understood as a set of linked loops. Low resources reduce food purchasing power. Food insecurity then increases stress and worsens health, which can reduce work capacity and raise expenses, deepening the original problem. Safety net programs counteract this loop, but gaps in access, adequacy, and coordination limit their ability to offset the pressures fully.

The evidence points to a consistent set of persistent barriers:

  • Low income and low wages: Households cut food first when money is tight.
  • High essential expenses: Housing, utilities, transportation, and healthcare costs force trade-offs.
  • Safety net gaps and shortfalls: Under-enrollment, eligibility limits, and benefit adequacy issues persist.
  • Administrative burden and stigma: Complex processes deter enrollment and consistent use.
  • Unequal burden across communities: Rates remain higher among Black, Hispanic, and Native American households.
  • Physical access barriers: Distance and transportation can make affordable, nutritious food harder to reach.
  • Fragmented governance: Programs seem to create gaps and diffuse accountability.

 

What’s changing now and the questions worth watching

Recent years have shown how quickly food insecurity can move when policy and prices change. Several changes are reshaping the landscape:

  • Policy whiplash as a driver: What happens when temporary supports expire, and which supports become durable over time?
  • The post-2021 SNAP benefit baseline is higher due to the Thrifty Food Plan update, but does it keep pace with local costs and end-of-month gaps?
  • Summer nutrition: With Summer EBT beginning in 2024 and more states adopting universal free school meals, will child food hardship stabilize outside the school year?
  • Access is evolving: SNAP online purchasing is now nationwide, but will delivery reach rural areas and households with limited digital access?
  • National ambition meets local execution: The federal goal to end hunger by 2030 is a strong signal, but which actors are accountable for measurable progress and equity in outcomes?

 

Why this matters for the conversation

If food insecurity were only about food supply, it would already be solved. The hard part is the system: income, costs, access, program design, and resilience through shocks. Bring your view of what is most underestimated, what is working, and where the real trade-offs show up in practice.

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Additional Resources

Toxic stress: We say food insecurity creates toxic stress in the household. Why do we say that and what do we mean by it? Do we understand the household consequences of food insecurity?

There is substantial evidence that food insecurity contributes to toxic stress at the household level, particularly affecting mental and emotional well-being.  Reducing toxic stress in households is crucial because chronic exposure to stress can have long-term, harmful effects on physical, emotional, and cognitive health—especially for children.

 

Spending time on this issue will help:

  • Program staff – increase empathy and understanding of the people they serve.
  • Public relations staff – provide language to tell the whole story of the people we serve.
  • Fund raising staff – deliver compelling case points.
  • Executive leadership – support organizational values beyond providing pounds of food and develop metrics that are outcomes, not just outputs; provide transparency and live by example.
  • Board of Directors – deliver clarity about values and outcomes
  • Grant reviewers – uphold values common to many grant makers
  • Funders of food security efforts – deliver set of ideas and specific ways to make a difference

 

Values: Curiosity, Integrity
4-part food security scorecard: Access, Utilization, Stability

There is substantial evidence that food insecurity contributes to toxic stress at the household level, particularly affecting mental and emotional well-being.

Here are key findings from recent research:

1. Food Insecurity as a Source of Toxic Stress

A 2024 JAMA Pediatrics viewpoint article explicitly identifies food insecurity as a source of toxic stress, especially for children. It highlights how food insecurity contributes to psychological, cognitive, and behavioral health consequences, which can lead to lifelong socioeconomic and health inequities. The authors advocate for addressing food insecurity as a root cause of toxic stress in clinical and policy settings.

 

2. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A 2024 systematic review published in BMC Nutrition analyzed data from over 2 million participants. It found that food insecurity increased the odds of psychological distress by 329%. Associated outcomes included:

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Sleep problems
  • Lower life satisfaction
  • Obesity
  • Increased smoking rates

These findings underscore food insecurity as a chronic stressor with both mental and physical health consequences.

 

3. Causal Link to Mental Health Symptoms

A longitudinal study published in AJMC tracked nearly 500 adults and found a direct causal relationship between food insecurity and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. Notably, symptoms appeared within just one month of becoming food insecure and were reversible when food security was restored. This highlights the acute psychological impact of food insecurity.

 

4. Family Stress and Violence Risk

A 2023 research review for the Army Family Advocacy Program emphasized that food insecurity is a significant stressor for families, especially when combined with financial hardship, frequent transitions, or family conflict. It can exacerbate family stress and increase the risk of domestic violence and emotional strain.

 

5. Global and Cultural Dimensions

Studies from countries like Ghana and Indonesia show that food insecurity is linked to risky behaviors, suicidal ideation, and mental health disorders, especially among youth. These findings suggest that food insecurity’s psychological impact is universal, though shaped by cultural and social contexts.

Why should household toxic stress be reduced?

Reducing toxic stress in households is crucial because chronic exposure to stress can have long-term, harmful effects on physical, emotional, and cognitive health—especially for children. Here’s why it matters:

 

1. Brain Development in Children

Toxic stress disrupts the architecture of a child’s developing brain. This can lead to:

  • Impaired learning and memory
  • Difficulty regulating emotions
  • Increased risk of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression

Children exposed to toxic stress early in life are more likely to struggle academically and socially.

 

2. Physical Health Consequences

Toxic stress is linked to:

  • High blood pressure
  • Heart disease
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Weakened immune function

These effects can persist into adulthood, increasing healthcare costs and reducing quality of life.

 

3. Family Functioning and Relationships

Stress can strain relationships within the household, leading to:

  • Increased conflict
  • Reduced emotional availability from caregivers
  • Higher risk of domestic violence or neglect

Reducing toxic stress helps families build resilience, trust, and emotional stability.

 

4. Economic and Social Impact

Households experiencing toxic stress often face:

  • Reduced productivity
  • Difficulty maintaining employment
  • Higher reliance on social services

Addressing toxic stress can improve economic stability and community well-being.

 

5. Prevention Is More Effective Than Treatment

Intervening early to reduce toxic stress—through food security, stable housing, mental health support, and nurturing relationships—is more cost-effective than treating the long-term consequences later.

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Do Better

Leadership & Culture: Work on Clear Vision and Values re: stress

  • Ensure leaders consistently communicate the organization’s mission and values regarding stress and stress reduction.
  • Align leadership behavior with company culture desired.

 

Dignity: Train Staff in Trauma-Informed Care

  • Equip frontline staff with skills to handle sensitive situations with empathy.
  • Focus on respect, dignity, and non-judgmental communication.

 

Program: Improve compassion/empathy

  • Tell the stories of people served.
  • Explain things that may not look right, like why someone has a nice car.
  • Have staff members tell their stories.

 

Operations: Strategic Enhancements

  • Focus on customer experience: Streamlined operations often lead to faster service and higher satisfaction.
  • Improve cross-functional collaboration: Break down silos between departments to boost agility.
  • Train and empower staff: Well-trained employees make fewer mistakes and adapt faster to changes.

 

Advocacy: Communication Tactics

  • Tell Stories: Personal narratives are more persuasive than statistics alone. Share real-life examples that highlight the impact of your cause.
  • Know Your Audience: Adapt your tone and content to match their values. Policymakers respond to data; communities respond to personal impact.
  • Practice & Prepare: Rehearse your message, anticipate objections, and refine your delivery.

If our goal is a food secure America, changemakers need to consider all six pillars of food security when we think about our work.

The six-dimension model of food security is vital because it transforms food security thinking from addressing basic needs to fostering just, resilient, and sustainable food systems—ensuring both human well-being and ecological integrity now and in the future. It does not minimize the importance of providing basic needs. Rather, it enables broader thinking about the role of basic needs in light of systems that are beyond the control of basic needs organizations.

Spending time on this issue will help:

  • Program staff – develop language that puts basic needs in a proper light.
  • Public relations staff – provide language to tell the whole story of the community and the challenges of basic needs organizations.
  • Fund raising staff – deliver compelling case points.
  • Executive leadership – support organizational values beyond providing pounds of food and develop metrics that are outcomes, not just outputs; provide transparency and live by example.
  • Board of Directors – deliver clarity about values and outcomes.
  • Grant reviewers – uphold values common to many grant makers.
  • Funders of food security efforts – deliver set of ideas and specific ways to make a difference.

 

Values: Progress, Integrity
6-part food security scorecard: Access, sustainability

What is important about the six-dimension model of food security?

1. Comprehensive Scope

Adds Agency and Sustainability to the original four-dimensions.

  • Agency: Empowers individuals and communities to make decisions about what they eat, produce, and how they engage with food systems—recognizing food as a matter of human rights and democratic participation. [experience…arcgis.com], [researchgate.net]
  • Sustainability: Ensures food systems can continue to meet present needs without undermining future ecological, social, and economic foundations. [experience…arcgis.com], [researchgate.net]

In effect, this model reframes food security as a dynamic, rights-driven, and ecological concept—not just as the simple presence or affordability of food.

 

2. Reflects Real-World Challenges

  • Power Inequalities: Highlights the need for community empowerment in food choices and production—addressing issues of justice and equity. [researchgate.net], [we-do-change.org]
  • Ecological Resilience: Draws attention to environmental pressures—climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity—that threaten long-term food systems. [researchgate.net], [fao.org]

These additions align the model with urgent global challenges like climate disruption and systemic inequity.

 

3. Enhances Policy and Governance

Incorporating agency and sustainability transforms how stakeholders—governments, NGOs, and donors—approach solutions by:

  • Shifting from emergency aid to rights-based interventions that empower communities.
  • Designing environmentally sustainable policies that protect ecosystems and livelihoods.

Promoting participatory governance, where communities help shape food system policies. [researchgate.net], [nj.gov]

 

4. Improves System Resilience

  • Stability addresses shock absorption (weather, economic, health crises).
  • Utilization ensures nutritional quality, safety, and proper absorption.

Combined with agency and sustainability, the model supports resilient, adaptable, and locally appropriate food systems. [experience…arcgis.com], [fao.org]

This multi-dimensional lens is especially useful in crises like the COVID-19 pandemic or geopolitical disruptions (e.g., conflict-induced supply chain shocks). [fao.org]

 

5. Aligns with Global Standards

The High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the UN Committee on World Food Security formally endorsed six dimensions in 2020, reflecting a consensus shift in global food governance. [we-do-change.org], [fao.org]

International bodies such as the FAO and CMCs support this wider framework, recognizing the importance of rights, equity, and ecological sustainability. [nj.gov], [fao.org]

 

Why it matters

  • Holistic Understanding: Food security is not only about “enough food”—it’s equally about who controls the food system and whether it endures for future generations.
  • Policy Alignment: Enables targeted, well-rounded policies that tackle immediate needs, structural inequities, and future risks.
  • Community Impact: Empowers communities, improves local governance, and fosters resilience—benefiting everyone from households to national systems.
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Six Dimensions of Food Security

Here are clear, current examples of how each of the six dimensions of food security is being effectively implemented in the United States:

 

1. Availability

Focus: Physical presence and supply of sufficient, nutritious food

  • Domestic production & supply chain resilience:
    The U.S. benefits from a robust food system; on average Americans spend only about 10–12% of their disposable income on food—a reflection of abundant, low-cost availability. [css.umich.edu], [ace-usa.org]
  • Per capita availability data:
    USDA’s Economic Research Service provides detailed metrics on national food availability across hundreds of commodities, offering insight into how much is produced and remains for consumer use. [ers.usda.gov]

 

2. Access

Focus: Economic and physical ability to obtain food

  • SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program):
    Serving over 41 million participants monthly, SNAP is the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program. In FY 2024, federal SNAP spending reached nearly $100 billion—benefits averaged around $187 per person per month.
    Research shows SNAP reduces food insecurity, poverty, and supports improved health, educational, and labor outcomes. [ers.usda.gov], [pewresearch.org] [cbpp.org], [frac.org]

 

3. Utilization

Focus: Nutritional intake, food safety, knowledge, and preparation

  • School meal programs:
    National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs serve nutritious meals to tens of millions daily. Updated nutrition standards (under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act) ensure meals include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low added sugar.
    These programs not only improve dietary intake but also boost academic performance, attendance, and healthier food habits. [heart.org], [cdc.gov], [fns.usda.gov] [cdc.gov], [schoolnutrition.org], [congress.gov]

 

4. Stability

Focus: Consistency of food access over time, especially during crises

  • TEFAP (Emergency Food Assistance Program):
    TEFAP distributes USDA-purchased American-grown foods to food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens, offering crucial support during emergencies and ongoing hardship. In fiscal 2024, $2.2 billion were allocated to TEFAP commodities and administrative support. [fns.usda.gov], [congress.gov], [feedingamerica.org]
  • D-SNAP (Disaster SNAP):
    Activated during federal-declared disasters, D-SNAP provides emergency nutritional aid when unexpected crises disrupt normal access. [usa.gov]

 

5. Agency

Focus: Empowerment and decision-making regarding food choices

  • Community gardens & People’s Garden Initiative:
    Community gardens empower individuals and neighborhoods through food production. Participants often see dramatic improvements: e.g., studies report up to a 90% drop in food insecurity and substantial increases in fresh vegetable intake.
    The USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative offers grants (e.g., $1 million since 2024) to support community-led sustainable agriculture, education, and local food empowerment. [community-…dening.org], [ifsffoodpantry.org] [fsa.usda.gov]

 

6. Sustainability

Focus: Long-term viability—environmental, economic, and social resilience

  • USDA’s Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program:
    Launched in December 2025 with a $700 million investment, this initiative funds practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, and whole-farm planning via EQIP and CSP. It focuses on soil health, water management, biodiversity, and nutrient density—to ensure long-term production without harming future ability. [agweb.com], [nrcs.usda.gov], [naco.org]
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Subject Matter Experts

Founded by Gerry Brisson, Dr. Phil Knight, and Ryan Hoyle, Know Better Do Better is a modern approach to reaching the next threshold of food security.

Gerry Brisson

Founding Partner, Changemaker

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Gerry Brisson

Founding Partner, Changemaker

A strong advocate for the community’s most vulnerable residents, Gerry Brisson has dedicated more than 35 years to improving food security. He believes hunger can be solved, and that addressing it brings greater empowerment and stability to families. Gerry is a founding partner of Know Better Do Better (KBDB), which unites communities and food security leaders to drive the insights and ideas necessary for a future where no one goes hungry. KBDB aims to engage changemakers in food security, chart solutions, and drive progress to the next threshold of impact.

Prior to KBDB, Gerry served as president and CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan, the state’s largest food bank. Under his leadership, Gleaners was named the Feeding America Food Bank of the Year in 2019 and received the Governor’s Service Award for Health Impact in 2022. Gerry himself has received numerous honors, including the Eleanor Josaitis Unsung Hero Award and the Michigan Association of Broadcasters’ Best in Class Excellence Award.

Gerry created “The Household Impact Model” to illustrate how food security impacts the short- and long-term well-being of our communities. With this mindset, he served as a foundational member of the national Hunger Education Research Committee to develop nutrition standards for the Feeding America network. He also established Gleaners as a national pioneer in addressing the link between food insecurity and health through partnerships with healthcare institutions, government, and corporations.
For nine years, Gerry chaired the board of the Food Bank Council of Michigan, working with executive director Dr. Phil Knight to create a unified food bank network through advocacy and collaboration. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organizational management and frequently serves as an expert panelist regarding the role of food banks in improving community health outcomes.

Gerry grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior before moving to Detroit. He and his wife of 23 years, Katie Brisson, live in the area with their four children: Lexie, Nate, Jim, and Ruth.

Ryan Hoyle

Founding Partner, Changemaker

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Ryan Hoyle

Founding Partner, Changemaker

Ryan Hoyle believes that every young person and every family should have both enough food on the table and a clear path to opportunity. A seasoned business leader and social entrepreneur, he is the co-founder of Know Better Do Better (KBDB), founder of GOALS Professional Services (GPS), and Managing Director of EsperRise. Across these roles, Ryan’s work is focused on one mission: building systems that make food security, education, and work more equitable and attainable.

Ryan launched GPS after 25 years in IT professional services to help mission-driven organizations stabilize operations and scale with intention using his Stabilize-Operationalize-Grow framework. Through EsperRise, he builds on this experience by collaborating with schools and employers to re-engage at-risk students and design inclusive workforce pipelines that connect learning to meaningful, sustainable careers.

KBDB is where Ryan’s most foundational values converge. He believes that in a country where food is plentiful, hunger is a problem we have the responsibility to solve. Together with co-founders Gerry Brisson and Dr. Phil Knight, he helps connect food security leaders and families to accelerate progress toward a future where every neighborhood has the conditions for people to thrive.

His career is marked by extensive board service with organizations such as Gleaners Food Bank and Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit. Ryan led the award-winning “Outsource to Detroit” and “Outsource to America” initiatives and has received numerous honors, including Crain’s “40 Under 40,” DBusiness’ “30 in Their 30s,” and the Michigan Chronicle’s “Men of Excellence.” He is also a graduate of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Leadership Detroit program.

Deeply rooted in service, Ryan is an engaged member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, a mentor to emerging leaders, and a husband and father of three living in Michigan. He brings together his expertise in operations and workforce strategy to advance a simple but ambitious goal: helping communities know better, do better, and create opportunity that lasts.

Dr. Phil Knight

Founding Partner, Changemaker

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Dr. Phil Knight

Founding Partner, Changemaker

Dr. Phil Knight is driven by an unwavering belief that hunger is a solvable problem — and that solving it requires courage, collaboration, and leadership. He serves as the executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM), a statewide organization that strengthens Michigan’s network of food banks and improves access to nutritious food for more than 1.6 million residents each year.

Phil’s commitment to ending hunger began in 1994 through humanitarian work in East Africa, where he helped establish the first schools, medical clinic, and community health centers on the Buvuma Islands of Lake Victoria, Uganda. He still speaks conversational Kiswahili — a reminder of the nine years that shaped his understanding that food is essential but never the whole answer.

Since 2003, his work has spanned conflict resolution, organizational culture, political strategy, fundraising, statewide coalition-building, and international leadership development. A licensed professional counselor in Michigan since 2009, he earned his doctorate in religious science and philosophy and is the author of The Diamond Life, a leadership workbook developed through Gray Knight Consulting, a leadership consulting firm he began in 2008.

Within the Feeding America network, Phil has served at the highest levels, including terms on the National Advisory Council and the Public Engagement Advisory Council. In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to chair the state’s first Food Security Council (2020-2022), where his leadership helped stabilize families during the COVID-19 pandemic and shape long-term bipartisan policy solutions.

Phil’s work has been recognized across multiple fields: he received the Governor’s Service Award in 2022 and, with co-host Gerry Brisson, earned multiple Michigan Association of Broadcasters Awards for their radio show “Food First Michigan.” He also previously hosted The Leadership Lowdown on the Michigan Business Network, where he interviewed executives, public leaders, and innovators shaping Michigan’s future.

Away from work, Phil is an avid reader and golfer who enjoys time on the lake in Northern Michigan. But his focus remains on a single mission: helping to build a food-secure Michigan, and ultimately, a food-secure nation.

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Do Better

Leadership & Culture

Work on Clear Vision and Values based around the six dimensions of food security and the priorities of your organization.

  • Ensure leaders consistently communicate the organization’s mission and values regarding the role they play in the bigger picture of food security, acknowledging the importance of each dimension.
  • Identify opportunities to collaborate with others doing adjacent parts of the work for cross-organizational learning and development.

 

Dignity

Use examples to show how agency matters in the model and how lack of sustainability and stability affect dignity.

  • Don’t just chase money, chase things that matter both now and later.
  • Focus on respect, dignity, and non-judgmental communication.

 

Program

Be proud of what you do and aware of what you don’t do.  Encourage getting beyond one’s own scope and appreciating others doing different but adjacent work.

  • Tell the stories of people served.
  • Have concrete examples of work in each dimension and why it is important.
  • Thank somebody who is committed to work that is adjacent but different than yours.

 

Operations

Strategic Enhancements

  • Improve cross-functional collaboration: Break down silos between departments that work on different dimensions of the food security model.
  • Train and empower staff: Well-trained employees make fewer mistakes and adapt faster to changes.

 

Advocacy

Communication Tactics

  • Tell Stories: Personal narratives are more persuasive than statistics alone. Share real-life examples that highlight the impact of your cause.
  • Know Your Audience: Adapt your tone and content to match their values. Policymakers respond to data; communities respond to personal impact.

Practice & Prepare: Rehearse your message, anticipate objections, and refine your delivery.

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Our Tech Approach

How KBDB Produces Trustworthy Insight

Know Better Do Better (KBDB) is a learning-and-doing community focused on ending food insecurity in the United States. We help changemakers make better decisions by researching, analyzing and presenting widely available information in appropriately curated and tailored formats.

Food insecurity is complex. Evidence can be messy, incomplete, or contested. People deserve work that is careful with facts and careful with human dignity. This page explains how KBDB approaches research and synthesis, how we use AI responsibly, and the standards we apply before we share anything publicly.

 

What we do (and what we do not)

What KBDB does

  1. Produces evidence-first, dignity-first materials that support learning, planning, and better conversations
  2. Helps partners and members orient quickly to what the evidence shows, where it is uncertain, and what trade-offs exist
  3. Builds shared understanding across sectors working on food insecurity
  4. Leverage technology to share information, innovation, and better practices across communities
  5. Makes relevant information widely available to the AI universe to keep it accurate, updated, and appropriate for the field

 

What KBDB does not do

  1. Is not a technology company and does not build proprietary models or platforms
  2. Does not replace human judgment with automation
  3. Does not publish or present AI-generated content without human review
  4. Does not exist to persuade people into a single ideology; exists to support better decisions

 

Our lens on food insecurity

Across every Critical Topic, KBDB uses a consistent set of dimensions to avoid narrow explanations and to surface real-world trade-offs:

  1. Availability: Is there enough food?
  2. Access: Can people obtain it (cost, distance, time, transportation)?
  3. Utilization: Can food be safely used and converted into health (nutrition, preparation, health conditions)?
  4. Stability: Are conditions consistent over time, or disrupted by shocks?
  5. Agency: Do people have choice and control in how they meet their needs?
  6. Sustainability: Can progress last without creating new harm?

This lens does not “pick winners.” It helps us ask better questions and present clearer, more complete insight.

 

What “evidence-first” means at KBDB

Evidence-first means we do more than collect sources. We apply a consistent discipline to how claims are handled and how uncertainty is communicated.

In practice, that means:

  1. We start with baseline facts from credible, method-transparent sources whenever possible
  2. We separate what is known from what is inferred and what is debated
  3. We name uncertainty, limitations, and missing data instead of smoothing them over
  4. We avoid single-source conclusions when evidence is mixed or populations are undercounted
  5. We use language that respects the dignity of people experiencing food insecurity

 

From question to insight

KBDB’s work follows a repeatable, human-led approach designed to reduce blind spots and increase usefulness.

  1. Start with a real decision or question. We clarify who needs the insight, what it will be used for, and what would make it genuinely helpful.
  2. Define terms and apply our lens. We establish definitions, relevant dimensions, and the equity risks that matter for interpretation.
  3. Anchor in baseline facts. We begin with trusted reference sources that publish primary data, peer-reviewed research, audited oversight, or method-transparent analysis.
  4. Triangulate across different types of evidence. We draw from multiple types of evidence (data, research, program experience, lived experience research, and operational realities) to reduce blind spots and avoid false certainty.
  5. Use technology to assist synthesis. AI can help organize large volumes of material, summarize, draft structured outlines, and flag gaps or inconsistencies for review. These outputs are drafts, not decisions.
  6. Apply human judgment and review. Human leads interpret the evidence, assess limitations, choose framing, and decide what is appropriate to publish. Accountability stays with people.
  7. Publish with quality checks and date-stamped updates. We date-stamp and update materials as evidence changes. When topics evolve quickly, we revisit sources and revise accordingly.
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How we use AI responsibly

KBDB uses AI as a behind-the-scenes support layer to improve consistency and efficiency. AI helps us move faster while reinforcing expectations for clarity, documentation, and discipline.

AI can help with:

  1. Organizing and clustering sources
  2. Summarizing and structuring drafts
  3. Highlighting gaps, contradictions, or missing context for humans to review

AI does not:

  1. Decide what KBDB believes, endorses, or publishes
  2. Replace subject matter expertise, community voices, or partner accountability
  3. Make judgments about people or communities
  4. Publish directly to members or the public

All outputs require human review before release.

 

Fairness, balance, and dignity safeguards

KBDB is politically agnostic and nonpartisan. Fairness does not mean every viewpoint is equally evidence-based. It means we apply a consistent evidence standard and clearly label what is fact, what is interpretation, and what is context.

Safeguards we use include:

  1. Single credibility bar across narratives and viewpoints
  2. Checking who is missing from the data so we do not overgeneralize from incomplete or biased datasets
  3. Lived experience inclusion when stigma, access barriers, or undercounting are likely
  4. Conflict awareness so vendor claims or advocacy claims are validated before being treated as fact
  5. Clear labeling of uncertainty, debate, and limitations
  6. Dignity-first framing to avoid stigmatizing language and deficit narratives
  7. Extra review when content is ethically sensitive or high-risk

 

How we choose and maintain sources

KBDB relies on a curated mix of:

  1. Publicly available data
  2. Peer-reviewed research
  3. Program and policy documentation
  4. Lived experience research and other method-transparent qualitative work

We prioritize sources that are widely trusted, transparent about methods, and clear about limitations. We review sources regularly and update our materials when underlying evidence changes.

 

What people receive from KBDB

KBDB produces materials designed to be used, not admired. Examples include:

  1. Critical Topic Overviews: Plain-language summaries of what the evidence says, what is uncertain, and where trade-offs exist.
  2. Curated Source Packs: Short annotated bibliographies that help people orient quickly and read further.
  3. Role-specific briefs: Implications for program leaders, funders, healthcare, policy, and community delivery.
  4. Conversation prompts: Questions and framing that support respectful, productive dialogue across roles and viewpoints.
  5. Optional viewpoint context companions: Clearly labeled narrative context to support understanding of the environment, not persuasion.

 

A note on transparency

This page is meant to explain how KBDB works in a way that is useful to the public. It is not an inventory of internal tools, prompts, or partner materials. Some operational details are shared directly with partners when relevant, but we do not publish confidential workflows or partner-provided information.

 

Why this approach matters

Ending food insecurity requires better decisions, not louder arguments. KBDB exists to help people see the system more clearly, engage evidence with humility, and act with care for the people most affected.

If you want to partner with KBDB or learn more about our Critical Topics, you can explore our work and connect with our team:

  1. Explore Critical Topics: Food Security Forum
  2. Partner with KBDB: admin@kbdbhub.com or Contact Us
  3. Join the KBDB community: Contact Us

 

Last updated: January 1, 2026.

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