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Gary Oppenheimer

Gary Oppenheimer

Keynote Speaker: Food Waste Thought Leader, CNN Hero & World Food Prize Nominee

Gary Oppenheimer Biography

Gary Oppenheimer is a sought after food waste thought leader, World Food Prize nominee, CNN Hero, lecturer and speaker (including two TEDx presentations), Points of Light Tribute winner, Purpose Prize Fellow, Huffington Post’s “Greatest Person of the Day” and “2011 Game Changer”, winner of the Russell Berrie Foundation’s “Making A Difference” award, winner of the Glynwood 2011 “Wave of the Future” award, winner of the 2012 Elfenworks “In Harmony With Hope” award, Echoing Green semifinalist and founder of AmpleHarvest.org now makes his home in the mountains of northern New Jersey after having lived on a boat on the Hudson River in Manhattan since 1978. He is also a Master Gardener, Rutgers Environmental Steward, former community garden director, Environmental Commissioner in northern New Jersey, an avid gardener and long distance cyclist.

An early pioneer in the electronic mail industry, MCI Inc. asked Oppenheimer in 1985 to help them sell and support the then fledgling MCI Mail electronic mail service. Within a few years, he became their largest global sales agent. In the early 2000’s after buying a home deep in the woods in a rural northern New Jersey and planting an orchard and garden, Oppenheimer realized he actually needed to learn how to grow things and became a Master Gardener. A year later, he completed the Rutgers Environmental Stewards program.

Over the next several years, he expanded his home gardens, became a lecturer, an environmental commissioner in his town, advocated for region wide watershed preservation laws and became the director of a community garden.

Aware of the increasing hunger problem in America and, in 2009, after seeing the amount of wasted food in the community garden as well as other gardens around the country, he created AmpleHarvest.org – a nationwide effort to enable America’s 61 million home gardeners who grow food to be able to easily find a local food pantry eager for their excess garden bounty.

Named CNN Hero a year later, he was introduced on the Larry King Live show which was followed by a live interview with CNN anchor Ali Velshi. He has appeared in numerous radio and TV interviews, has spoken at a global philanthropy conference in Athens Greece, Wharton’s Social Responsibility conference, Cultivate Iowa, the Food Conference at UC Davis, Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, the Brooklyn Food Conference, and many others.

Oppenheimer has also presented AmpleHarvest.org to USDA People’s Garden Initiative Conference in Washington DC, hosted a webinar for 100,000 invited USDA employees on gardening and hunger and has been interviewed numerous time by both print and electronic (local and network) media outlets nationwide.

Because AmpleHarvest.org worked closely with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to improve fresh food access at thousands of food pantries nationwide, he had the opportunity to meet the President and First Lady and she subsequently highlighted AmpleHarvest.org in a speech in early 2012.

Backed by the USDA, Google Inc. Bonnie Plants, the National Gardening Association, the National Council of Churches and many faith and service organizations, AmpleHarvest.org is now helping 8,990 food pantries be accessible to local gardeners and other donors.

He also enjoys boating, hiking, farming, and attacking challenges of all sorts. Oppenheimer is a firm believer in the notion that to do the impossible, you must first believe it isn’t.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Gary Oppenheimer and other top speakers and celebrities.

Gary Oppenheimer Speaking Topics

America’s Food Safety Net – How We Fight Hunger With One Hand Tied Behind Our Back

While 42 million Americans grow more food in their garden than they can use, preserve or give to friends, 50 million Americans nationwide are food insecure. A new disruptive solution enables people to reach into their backyard instead of their back pocket to help end hunger.

AmpleHarvest.org – No Food Left Behind

Challenges encountered by great ideas and innovations in the non-profit realm and why we should welcome risking success.

Food Waste Costing More Than You Thought

Half of the produce in America (including 11 billion pounds of locally grown fresh food) is never consumed. Learn the costs of food waste and some of the simple sustainable solutions to the problem.

People of Faith Responding To Food Waste

A look at Food Waste Weekend – how a small non-profit has clergy of all faiths across America learning about and then giving sermons on food waste – each from their own faith perspective.

Innovative Solutions, Innovative Metrics

How innovative changes call for a new way of measuring success — or failure.

Gary Oppenheimer Videos

Gary Oppenheimer: Founder of AmpleHarvest.org
Gary Oppenheimer Speaking at the Hubbard Sustainability Series
Why Food Drives Contribute To Hunger in America | Gary Oppenheimer | TEDx

How do I book Gary Oppenheimer to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Gary Oppenheimer for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Gary Oppenheimer, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Gary Oppenheimer or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Gary Oppenheimer for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Gary Oppenheimer, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Gary Oppenheimer, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Gary Oppenheimer speak about?

Gary Oppenheimer is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as TED, Sustainability, Thought Leadership, Social Justice, Food & Beverage, Climate Change, Innovation, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Science and Environment.

Where does Gary Oppenheimer travel from?

Gary Oppenheimer generally travels from New Jersey, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Gary Oppenheimer?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Gary Oppenheimer for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Gary Oppenheimer for your next private or corporate function.

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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Gary Oppenheimer or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Gary Oppenheimer is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including TED, Sustainability and Thought Leadership. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. Gary Oppenheimer generally travels from New Jersey, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jasmine Crowe-Houston, Sarah Frey and Kate Kavanaugh. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Gary Oppenheimer for an upcoming event.

Gary Oppenheimer Speaking Topics

  • America’s Food Safety Net – How We Fight Hunger With One Hand Tied Behind Our Back

    While 42 million Americans grow more food in their garden than they can use, preserve or give to friends, 50 million Americans nationwide are food insecure. A new disruptive solution enables people to reach into their backyard instead of their back pocket to help end hunger.

  • AmpleHarvest.org – No Food Left Behind

    Challenges encountered by great ideas and innovations in the non-profit realm and why we should welcome risking success.

  • Food Waste Costing More Than You Thought

    Half of the produce in America (including 11 billion pounds of locally grown fresh food) is never consumed. Learn the costs of food waste and some of the simple sustainable solutions to the problem.

  • People of Faith Responding To Food Waste

    A look at Food Waste Weekend – how a small non-profit has clergy of all faiths across America learning about and then giving sermons on food waste – each from their own faith perspective.

  • Innovative Solutions, Innovative Metrics

    How innovative changes call for a new way of measuring success — or failure.

Gary Oppenheimer Videos

Gary Oppenheimer: Founder of AmpleHarvest.org
Gary Oppenheimer Speaking at the Hubbard Sustainability Series
Why Food Drives Contribute To Hunger in America | Gary Oppenheimer | TEDx
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