Robert Egger is the Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen, where unemployed men and women learn marketable culinary skills while foods donated by restaurants, hotels and caterers are converted into balanced meals. Since opening in 1989, the Kitchen has distributed over 20 million meals and helped over 700 men and women gain full-time employment.
While Robert still maintains a day to day presence at the Kitchen, he devotes much of his time nationally, as the Director of the V3 Campaign (www.v3campaign.org), which is working to get the voice, value and votes of the nonprofit sector recognized in every election in America.
Robert was a Co-Founder of Foodchain (the National Association of Prepared Food Programs) and the Co-Convener of the first ever Nonprofit Congress in 2006. Locally, Robert was the founding Chairperson of both the DC Mayor's Commission on Nutrition and Street Sense, Washington's "homeless" newspaper.
Robert was included in the Non Profit Times list of the "50 Most Powerful and Influential Nonprofit Leaders" in 2006, 2007 and 2008. He was the recipient of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington's 2007 Duke Ziebert "Lifetime Achievement" award and the 2004 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award. He has also been named an Oprah Angel, a Washingtonian of the Year, a Point of Light and one of the Ten Most Caring People in America, by the Caring Institute. He is also a 14-gallon blood donor to the American Red Cross.
Robert's book on the non-profit sector, Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient and Rewarding For All, which was released in 2004 by HarperCollins, received the 2005 McAdam Prize for "Best Nonprofit Management Book" by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.
Robert speaks throughout the country and internationally and writes blogs and editorials to share his ideas about the nonprofit sector and the future of America. To check out Robert's most recent speaking schedule, blogs, and editorials, please visit www.robertegger.org.