Generation NOW: Robert Egger

He came. He spoke. He inspired. Robert Egger, the founder and executive director of DC Central Kitchen, came to William and Mary this past week to share his thoughts on leadership while encouraging William and Mary students to get up and move! His vibrancy and enthusiasm for life emanated throughout the room as he lectured to the Leadership and Community Engagement class Tuesday evening in the Office of Community Engagement lounge. “Leaders –we can be a bit more daring and a bit more provocative than others,” he said. Egger believes that leadership is being prepared. He said that in order to fulfill dreams and life goals people must do intentional exercises to hold themselves accountable. Egger claims that although the exercises he practices can be foolish, they are deliberate and keep him moving forward.  He has found a way to live intentionally by committing 49% percent of his time to sustaining the work of the DC Central Kitchen and the other 51% to exploring new ideas to foster and grow the project.

During his visit on Tuesday, Egger also noted that there are three types of leaders. First, there are those who look out over the horizon and run for fear of the social need that they cannot ease. Then, there are those who glance up, notice that disaster is coming and simply wait for it to hit them. Finally, there are those leaders who peak over the horizon, see a need for change and run out to meet it. These individuals are the ones who bring about real change. He encouraged students in the class to seize opportunity and be open to new ideas.

In his book, Begging for Change, Egger reflects on his willingness to accept change by saying, “I set out to show [nonprofit veterans] another way; to demonstrate that you have to tear down walls, break routines and look for more efficient ways of running service organizations.”

In 2005, Robert Egger realized that there were high rates of unemployment coupled with a lack of food for the homeless in Washington DC. Being a change-maker, he saw this observation as an opportunity to start a revolutionary model for social change; The DC Central Kitchen. The DC Central kitchen recycles 3,000 pounds of food each day to create over 4,500 meals that they then deliver to transitional homes and shelters throughout DC.  The DC Central Kitchen employs adults who struggle with addiction, homelessness, or recent incarceration and teaches them in a 16 week education program for culinary training. Nearly 100% of these employees get fulltime jobs once they graduate and collectively the graduates make $2 million annually.  The DC Central Kitchen has become so successful that Egger created local chapters called “Campus Kitchens” which currently serve 26 communities across America, including William and Mary.

Although brief, Robert Egger’s visit to William and Mary proved valuable to the students in the Leadership and Community Engagement class. One student noted, “Robert Egger is a unique nonprofit leader in the sense that he is very honest and relatable. His stories make me believe that I can accomplish my dreams if I step out and take risks.” His message sends a reminder to us all that if you are truly passionate about something, your drive can make it happen.