Speaker Spotlight

Zoe Nicols is transforming how we think about food waste, one label at a time. As a rising senior at Mira Costa High School, she has already become a powerful voice in the fight for food justice, proving that age is no barrier to creating meaningful change.

Zoe’s journey began with a simple observation that led to groundbreaking research. Her AP Capstone paper, “Stale Solutions: An Assessment of the Consumer Interpretation of Food Product Dating,” reveals how America’s confusing and unregulated “best by” and “use by” labeling system tricks consumers into throwing away perfectly good food. Her research exposes a hidden driver of food waste that costs households money while contributing to environmental damage and food insecurity.

But Zoe doesn’t just study problems—she solves them. As president of the South Bay Food Initiative, she has mobilized students to donate over 6,000 pounds of food while educating peers about food insecurity and policy solutions. Her impact extends into classrooms as well, where she designed and teaches a nutrition education program at the Richstone Family Center, empowering underserved elementary students to make informed, healthy food choices.

Zoe’s work represents a new generation of activism that combines rigorous research with grassroots action. Her experiences in food equity work sparked her investigation into consumer perception and food waste, connecting the dots between individual behavior and systemic change. Through her research and advocacy, she demonstrates how small shifts in understanding can create massive impact.

Her vision is both simple and revolutionary: fewer groceries in the trash, more meals on tables. Zoe believes that youth-led advocacy and awareness can fundamentally rethink waste, empower communities, and build a more just food system. Her TEDx talk challenges audiences to reconsider something as basic as reading a food label—and discover how this simple act can help feed the world.