Born in The Bronx, NYC, Errol Schweizer is a 25+ year veteran of the food system, with experience in retail, food service, cooperatives, farmers markets, urban agriculture, community organizing and food policy. He has a B.Sc. in Biology and has worked nearly every retail and service sector job, from grill cook and dishwasher, to stock clerk and purchasing manager. As the former V.P. of Grocery for Whole Foods, he spent over a decade bringing more than 6,000 products to market while developing new categories and supply chains.
Errol has had a huge impact on Non-GMO and Organic product availability, fair labor standards, Halal and Kosher certification, plant-based foods, and grass-fed and humanely-raised meat, eggs and dairy.
Errol co-founded Drop the Rock, the campaign to overturn mandatory minimum sentencing in New York State, and was instrumental in legalizing hemp and cannabis in many states in the U.S.
Errol was selected as a 2023 Bevnet/NOSH top 50 food industry notables. He was awarded Supermarket News Retail Game-changer of the Year in 2015 and was recognized by the Hemp Industry Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. He is also a longtime organizer, researcher and published author on environmental justice issues. Errol is currently a Board Member, Advisor and Co-Founder for over a dozen companies in the natural products and cannabis sectors and is active in regional food policy, food access and social justice organizing. Errol is a member of the National Writers Union and Freelance Solidarity Project and is committed to diversity and equity in the food system. Errol supports the rights of all workers to organize and join a union.
Evan Driscoll has spent the past 10+ years working in the local food system in Austin, TX. Evan currently serves as a Staff Consultant with Kitchen Table Consultants, where he advises sustainable farm and food businesses on business development and raising funds. Evan is the former Director of Operations and a current Advisor for Foodshed Investors, an Impact Angel Investor Network in Austin. Evan is also on the Boards of Texas Farmers Markets, Common Market Texas, and is Board Treasurer for the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardners Association (TOFGA). He is a Co-Founder and Advisor with Central Texas Young Farmer Coalition, a new and beginning farmer advocacy group. He worked on small farms for years, both as a Farm Owner and Manager, as well as worked in local food distribution and procurement through local food system organizations and food banks.