Society & Culture
This week, we're sitting down with Stephen O'Brien, formerly of the NY Dept of Education, to discuss driving healthy choices and sustainable solutions to a massive audience - 1.1 million students.
If you’re looking to drive real change—especially in education—Stephen O’Brien’s approach offers a playbook for creating measurable impact in even the biggest organizations. Here’s what you can learn from his experience leading sustainable food service transformation:
3 steps for successful, sustainable change:
**Step 1: Start with pilots, not mandates.**
Stephen didn’t try to overhaul everything at once—he launched small experiments like “Trayless Tuesdays” and salad bar pilots. Success with these prototypes gave him proof of concept and protected him from big, costly failures.
**Step 2: Build coalitions—especially with your end users.**
Lasting change came because he listened to students, staff, nonprofits, and policymakers, using their feedback to design solutions that actually worked for them. When students asked for better serviceware, he collaborated *with* them, not *for* them.
**Step 3: Use scale as leverage, not just as a challenge.**
Stephen pooled buying power through the Urban School Food Alliance. By aggregating demand, he negotiated better contracts for compostable plates and locally sourced food, making sustainable options affordable even in a giant system.
You may not be running the nation's largest school cafeteria, but you can always start smaller, test, scale, and invite others into the journey. Sustainable change is never solo work—and your allies may be waiting where you least expect them (including your youngest “customers”).