Inside the St. Louis Business 500: Exclusive Q&A with Kristen Wild of Operation Food Search

Kristen Wild joined Operation Food Search after leading the Ladue Education Foundation & Alumni Association. She has dedicated her career to advocacy and education, having worked with organizations like Autism Speaks and in various public school districts. Kristen emphasizes the vital importance of food security, stating, “Children can’t thrive in the classroom or life without it.”

Professional Highlights

Recent successes? Operation Food Search recently kicked off the Healthy Food Healthy Community project. This renovation will boost our efforts to combat food insecurity in the bi-state region.

What excites you about the future? Our updated facility will be better suited to meet urgent needs with improved food storage, packing, and distribution. We’ll also work closely with community partners, enhance our programs, and create a more welcoming environment for volunteers and donors.

One change you’d make in your industry? While there’s great collaboration among nonprofits in St. Louis, I wish to see even more teamwork. Many issues we face are connected, often stemming from poverty.

Toughest business challenge? We experienced high turnover rates, which affected morale and added to our workload. Thankfully, this year, we’ve seen significant improvement in keeping our employees.

Where do you seek advice? I often turn to fellow nonprofit leaders for insights. Groups like the Rome Group Executive Director Meet-Up and my Leadership St. Louis cohort have been particularly valuable.

Who is your mentor? Allen Hauge has been a tremendous mentor. His experience as a Vistage coach allows him to offer perspective from numerous leaders, which is incredibly helpful to me.

Best career advice you’ve received? Allen once told me that this job wouldn’t get easier until I embraced the challenges of leadership instead of resisting them. That mindset has made a big difference for me.

Business leaders you’d like to dine with? I’d love to dine with Jason Hall and Kristen Sorth. Jason has united leaders across industries to strengthen our community. Kristen has transformed the St. Louis County Library into a vital resource, far beyond just books.

Emerging leader to watch? Marcus Howard stands out as an exciting new leader. He founded GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness, a pharmacy focused on serving underserved communities in St. Louis, even delivering prescriptions and food from Operation Food Search to those without transportation.

Change you’d make in the St. Louis business environment? I’d create incentives to keep young talent in the area. We have great educational institutions, but many graduates leave to start their careers elsewhere.

Background

Birthplace? Kalamazoo, Michigan

Childhood dream? I wanted to be an author.

First job? I taught second grade in inner-city Houston through Teach for America. It was an eye-opening experience about the crucial role of education.

Degrees? I have a degree in political science and psychology from Duke University.

Hobbies and Interests

What would you do instead of your current job? If I weren’t in this role, I would lead in education, as I believe it’s key to solving many societal issues.

Your favorite restaurant in St. Louis? I love eating at Root in Augusta, especially enjoying whatever special fish they offer.