One in five children in the United States goes hungry every day. That statistic might be surprising to most, but to Michael Levine, it became a calling – a reason to build an organization whose guiding mission is to reduce that number drastically. 500 food products and seven brands later, Global Food Solutions is continuing their work by partnering with government institutions, all without raising a single dollar of outside capital.

Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. Over the course of a decade, Michael focused on building a business on his terms. In this episode, we uncover how this promising executive chef decided to start a food business after suffering a major injury, preventing him from ever working in the kitchen again.

The early opportunity was initially driven by changing government regulations that forced public schools to look for healthier food providers. Coupled with his dedication to create an impact on kid’s lives, Michael and his team created a proprietary way to make food that was both cost-effective and nutritious.

In this episode, we discuss how he landed his first major client with the New York City public school system, and the two main factors that contributed to his ongoing success – placing incredible importance on building face to face relationships and managing financials with relentless focus.