A Letter from the Founder: Why I Started 360 Eats
During my travels through Australia in 2015, I found myself face-to-face for the first time with a shocking reality. Behind a local grocery store on the outskirts of Melbourne was a dumpster overflowing with untouched wholesome food awaiting its demise at a local landfill. At that moment two questions I never thought I would ask popped into my head; Why is all of this perfectly edible food being thrown away? And how on earth are we going to haul all of it home?
I had stumbled on a community of "dumpster divers" who fed themselves almost solely on the good food grocery stores had discarded. Day after day, the community of 27 ate a surplus of quality foods at virtually no cost. This experience inspired me and, as I continued my travels around the globe, I challenged myself to source a majority of my food from dumpsters.
What I believed would be a difficult journey soon proved to be surprisingly easy. I began to witness the extent of food waste globally and quickly realized that it is not just an isolated issue. This experience completely reshaped the way I thought about food and is what has led to my pursuance of a just and sustainable food system.
In 2019, I started a Youtube cooking show and food waste awareness project called 'Cooking With Trash". The project quickly gained traction after only a month of production and was soon picked up by networks such as NBC's Today Show, HuffPost's "This New World", 60 Second Docs, Garden Culture Magazine, and Feeding Tampa Bay.
Although it is crucial to bring these issues to light, it is equally important to provide solutions. Where ‘Cooking With Trash’ succeeded in raising awareness it lacked in providing a viable solution. 360 Eats is the next step in the quest to end food waste and food insecurity and it provides a simple yet effective model to help transition to a sustainable and just food system.
It is my mission as Director of Operations at 360 Eats to help reshape our food system to benefit humankind as well as our environment. I hope in by doing so we can all work together to create a bight and healthy future for all.
Cameron Macleish
Founder / Chairman / CEO
Hi there! My name is Cameron. I am a Florida local and a musician, traveler, activist, and hummus enthusiast.
I find inspiration in the world and its cultures, traditions, landscapes, history, food, music and art. Selflessness, passion and kindness are qualities in people that inspire me on a daily basis.
In my spare time, you can find me working on music or playing a show with my band, exercising, reading, outdoors camping, hiking, and relaxing in my hammock, volunteering in the community, or traveling and exploring new locations.
Ellen Macleish
Vice-Chairman / Secretary / Internal Affairs Committee Chairman
Hello, I'm Ellen. I'm inspired by kindness, generosity, humility, honesty and natural beauty.
In my spare time, I practice yoga, Pilates, reading new fiction, walking in beautiful spaces and even cooking (yes, I also do it for relaxation and fun!).
The natural food movement in the 70s changed how I saw food and it's critical role in our ongoing health, but also how the food system was being industrialized, politicized and marketed away from being truly healthy for us. I entered the food industry professionally just seven years ago, with a commitment to affect positive change from within.
Lainey Dunn
Board of Director / External Affairs Committee Chairman
Hi there! My name is Lainey Dunn. I am a Florida native, coffee enthusiast and an avid traveler who loves to give back and volunteer.
In my spare time, I enjoy Pilates and playing with my dog Rocky and cat Finley. I believe you can find inspiration in all things in life and growing up I was raised you give back any chance you get!
I have been in the wedding and events industry for almost ten years now and when I first heard of Cooking With Trash from our chef Ellen, I knew I wanted to be involved. Not only hearing about what they were doing but seeing the amount of perfectly good food that went to waste when we could be taking care of people in our community was alarming. I got involved with 360 Eats to bring awareness and an end to food insecurities, while providing for people within our own back yard and creating a sustainable food system!
Rose Curcio
Board of Director / Governance Committee Chairman
Hi, I'm Rose Curcio. I am a food safety specialist and trainer/educator. I love my job because it combines two of my favorite things - food and science!
I grew up visiting family here in Florida and I fell in love with it. I live in Safety Harbor with my human and fur family. I am inspired by the kindness and humanity in people. I have always believed that people are good, kind, and generous - we have so much in common and it is really a small world.
I love to take my dog for long walks especially along the water. I love to swim and be in nature. Even though I am a public speaker, I most enjoy my quiet time alone with a good read!
Cooking is a passion of mine and I am a foodie for sure. For some, food is a luxury. I believe everyone should have access to nutritious food. It is unacceptable that 1 in 7 people in our country are food insecure while 72 billion pounds of food is wasted each year. 360 Eats has a great plan to help combat and hopefully eliminate hunger and food waste. It is our duty to leave this place a little better than we found it and that is what I hope to do.
