RONNI KAHN AO

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR, FOUNDER OZ HARVEST, KEYNOTE SPEAKER, BRAND AMBASSADOR

After nearly 20 years founding and leading OzHarvest as CEO, Ronni Kahn AO has stepped into a new chapter as Visionary-in-Residence. This change in role opens up a world of possibilities for Ronni and she is not slowing down! This new role allows her to share her experience and knowledge to a broader audience through corporate engagements and meaningful brand ambassadorships. Ronni is not stepping back she is stepping into what she does best, building relationships, inspiring others, and dreaming big! Her new role allows her to partner with brands and organisations that share her values around sustainability, food, community, and doing business for good.

She remains on the OzHarvest Board and continues as its founder whilst Brand Ronni Kahn AO operates as a separate commercial identity. 

Most people wind down at 70. Ronni Kahn is just changing gears.

Ronni Kahn AO is a leading social entrepreneur and thought leader, best known as the founder of OzHarvest and a prominent advocate for sustainability, social impact and heart led leadership.

Widely recognised across Australia for her role in pioneering food rescue, Ronni has spent more than two decades championing solutions to food waste through policy advocacy, public engagement and media leadership. She is a highly sought after international keynote speaker and a regular presence in national media, using her platform to drive collective action and systemic change.

Through her work, Ronni has collaborated with renowned chefs, members of the British Royal Family and global leaders, championing food as a powerful force for good. She positions food as a means to equalise, foster dignity and respect, and bring people together through sharing and compassion, strengthening social cohesion and peace.

Ronni’s contribution has been recognised with numerous honours, including being named Australia’s Local Hero at the Australian of the Year Awards in 2010 and being appointed an Off icer of the Order of Australia in 2019 for distinguished service to social welfare. She was also named a Boss Magazine True Leader in 2017.

Her impact extends to academia, with honorary doctorates awarded by Griffith University in 2017 and the University of South Australia in 2022 in recognition of her service to the community.

Internationally, Ronni has successfully replicated the OzHarvest food rescue model in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Vietnam and Japan, demonstrating its scalability and global relevance. In 2024, Ronni was recognised by mainstream media as an icon of advocacy, with Marie Claire nominating her for Icon of the Year, alongside leading figures from across culture and public life. 

Ronni co-authored her memoir, A Repurposed Life, which was nominated for ABIA Biography Book of the Year in 2020. Her work is also the subject of the independent feature documentary Food Fighter, released in 2018 and directed by Dan Goldberg.

Having transitioned into the role of Visionary in Residence at OzHarvest, Ronni now focuses on thought leadership, coaching and advancing social entrepreneurship.