About Us

Simple Approach to Ending Hunger

Daily Bowl recovers excess food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it to Bay Area agencies that feed families who are hungry.

On one hand, hunger is a serious problem for many families in our community. On the other hand, food waste is the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Daily Bowl is a nonprofit organization that recovers surplus edible fresh and prepared food destined for waste from food providers. We immediately distribute that food to receiving agencies who serve the hungry and vulnerable. Essentially, we aim to rescue surplus food by putting it to good use.

History

Daily Bowl was founded in 2016 by Paddy Iyer and Lance Nishihira. They wanted to address the growing problem of hunger in local communities. Around the same time, the legal environment changed significantly, allowing the redistribution of excess food from retailers and professional kitchens.

With the window of opportunity open, Daily Bowl was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and began forming the business and agency partnerships necessary to build a robust network of food distribution. Since its inception, Daily Bowl has helped divert more than 3 million pounds of perfectly edible food that were otherwise destined for landfills and compost, to agencies that help the food insecure.

Daily Bowl is governed by a Board of Directors composed of leaders who are experienced in business, fundraising, and civic affairs. Daily Bowl has offices at Centro de Servicios, a social services hub in Union City. Tax ID: 81-3341265 

Board of Directors

Anu Natarajan, Urban Planner

Anu is an urban planner who served 10 years on Fremont’s City Council. She is an active board member for StopWaste, the Greenbelt Alliance, and other groups that address social issues.

Darryl McAllister, Retired Police Chief

Retired Police Chief Darryl McAllister is nationally recognized for his innovative approach to community policing and serving all residents.

Ken Pon, Accountant

Ken is a CPA who serves on the board of several nonprofit organizations. He is a Planning Commissioner for the City of San Leandro. He is a Rotarian and participates in international project.

Jaime Jaramillo, Executive Director– Centro de Servicios

Photo of Jaime Jaramillo

Jaime is the Executive Director of Centro de Servicios, a social services agency located in Union City that serves low-income families.

Gary Singh, Business Owner and City Councilmember

Gary is the owner of BayStar Automotive in Union City, where he also serves as a member of the City Council. He has an active leadership role in the Friends of Sister Cities and participates in many community activities.

Kara Lee, Event Planner and Business Owner

Kara works in event management and founded Aspire Events with a focus on non-profit organizations and fundraising. She focuses her community efforts on food access, youth education, and health organizations.

Melissa Wilk, Auditor-Controller

Elected as the first woman Auditor-Controller/Clerk-Recorder for Alameda County, Melissa is responsible for the controlling, auditing, and reporting of Alameda County’s $3.5 billion budget. She has earned two Master’s degrees and a Non-Profit Management certificate.

Lance Nishihira, Cofounder & President

Lance is a cofounder and technology executive and is passionate about education and community issues. He serves as President of New Haven Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Cindi Napoli-Abella Reiss, College Trustee

Cindi has spent the past twenty-five years in higher education. Additionally, she dedicates her time on boards and organizations focused on at-risk youth, the arts, community transformation, and educational advocacy. She is currently a Trustee for the Peralta Community College District.

Sara Lamnin, City Councilmember

Sara Lamnin has spent 25 years working with and for healthcare and social service agencies. Most recently, she worked on addressing homelessness and currently serves on the Hayward City Council.

Paddy Iyer, Executive Director

Paddy has been instrumental in growing Daily Bowl into a recognized food recovery organization, forging relationships between donors and receiving agencies alike. agencies feeding the hungry, thus completing the circle.