2 min read
Joshua Daneshforooz, Founder/CEO of Dine and Feed
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Name: Joshua Daneshforooz
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Education:
- Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School
- BA, Philosophy from Westmont College
Experience:
- Founder of All Nations Education, a nonprofit that empowers young adults through higher education and community service in developing countries.
- Teaching Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School. Josh taught community organizing, public narrative and leadership to executives and entrepreneurs across various sectors at Harvard and around the world.
- Founding partner, Cornerstone Leadership Development, a global leadership consultancy. Josh currently works with corporations, non-profits and government agencies to develop leadership at all levels of an institution.
Startup:
Dine & Feed
Mission:
We empower restaurants, food nonprofits and smartphone users to fight hunger together.
Milestones:
- Version 1.0 Finished
- Seed Capital Raised
Current Focus:
- Building a Board of Advisors
- Recruiting Celebrity Sponsors
- Raising Series A
Lessons Learned:
- Business can be a powerful force for alleviating poverty.
- Build and iterate.
- Fail fast and correct quickly.
- My primary responsibility as a founder and leader is to develop the leadership of others.
- My responsibility as a founder is to set the systems and structures in place so my team can flourish.
- Empathy is one of the most useful skills for building something the world will actually want to use.
- Leadership is about asking questions, listening and coaching.
Staying Motivated:
Meditation, prayer and jogging keep me connected to my source of motivation. I can’t go a week without ice cream and a dip in the hot tub. I try my best to set aside one day every week when I don’t check email or do anything professionally. One day when I focus on filling my personal tanks by lying in the sun, hiking, reading Robert Frost, bodyboarding or just watching a movie.
Greatest Mentors:
Ancient Wisdom, Gayle Beebe, Michael Scott (from The Office), Children, Nature, Einstein, Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr.
Want to learn more about @dinefeed? Contact Josh @joshdforooz on twitter.
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