412 Food Rescue Welcomes New CEO Alyssa Cholodofsky

412 Food Rescue also developed a proprietary software platform for growing food recovery, the centerpiece of which is the Food Rescue Hero app.  Seventeen nonprofit organizations across the U.S. and Canada are part of the Food Rescue Hero network, scaling food recovery in 37 counties. More than 51,000 volunteer drivers registered in the app have recovered over 160 million pounds of food, mitigating over 290 million pounds of CO2 emissions.

412 Food Rescue, its Food Rescue Hero platform, and its leadership have been recognized by Grist 50 and Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas and covered by NPR, the Washington Post, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and more.

In 2023, co-founder and CEO Leah Lizarondo stepped down from her executive role, continuing to serve as a strategic advisor until early this year. 412 Food Rescue’s board appointed Karin Sabey, a 20-year veteran of nonprofit management, to serve as interim CEO while the organization sought a permanent replacement.

Jennifer England, 412 Food Rescue’s Vice President of External Affairs, notes, “We are evolving from a small but mighty start up into our next phase, growing our leadership team to continue strengthening both our local operations in the innovative tech hub that is Pittsburgh and leading a national transformation on how we approach both food waste and hunger.”

The organization’s search led it to Cholodofsky, who has deep experience leading nonprofits in the region. For the past ten years, she has served in multiple executive roles at the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, most recently as Chief Program & Policy Officer. Prior to that, she served in leadership roles at Family Services of Western Pennsylvania; the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America; and the Veterans Leadership Program, located in Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, with an M.P.A. in public management and policy.

“As a longtime admirer of 412 Food Rescue, I am thrilled to join this amazing organization, which has had a profound impact in Pittsburgh and across the country through its innovative approach to the interconnected challenges of food waste and hunger,” says Cholodofsky. “This work has never been more urgent, and I’m proud to be part of an organization that is trailblazing a truly effective path forward.”

“Alyssa’s deep roots in our community and her multifaceted history of organizational leadership make her an ideal steward for 412 Food Rescue as it takes on this next phase of growth,” says Beth A. Slagle, Chair of the Board.

A high-resolution headshot for Cholodofsky can be found at this link. Photo by Jason Cohn.


About 412 Food Rescue: Driven by the belief that good food belongs to people, not landfills, 412 Food Rescue launched in Pittsburgh, PA, in March 2015 to divert fresh food from going to waste by redirecting it to people facing food insecurity. Today, it is the largest volunteer food rescue organization in the country with a growing community of 22,000+ volunteers. Since more than 80% of the food for pick up is fresh, timely delivery is essential. 412 Food Rescue developed an innovative, integrated platform, Food Rescue Hero, which includes a proprietary app that makes claiming food rescues easy and convenient, guiding each volunteer every step of the way from pick up to delivery. Food Rescue Hero is licensed for use at 17 food rescues in North America.

In the United States, as much as 40 percent of food produced is wasted, while 1 in 10 people go hungry. To date, 412 Food Rescue has diverted over 31 million pounds of food bound for the waste stream in Western Pennsylvania, the equivalent of more than 26 million meals, mitigating over 60 million pounds of CO2 emissions in the process. On a monthly basis, the organization works with over 590 food retailers and 410 nonprofit partners.