Founder Profile: Joshua Daneshforooz, Founder/CEO of Dine and Feed

2 min read
NYC

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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