Paloma JacomeKey Takeaways:
Food waste is a hidden climate driver and a solvable one. Hilary breaks down why wasted food contributes more to climate change than cars and why this issue has flown under the radar compared to plastics or energy.
Career pivots can shape purpose-driven leadership. From Citibank to Gillette to Divert, Hilary’s journey shows how finance, global marketing, and climate innovation can intersect to build a mission-focused career.
Divert is redefining the food waste ecosystem. By preventing waste, donating edible surplus to Feeding America, and turning the rest into renewable energy, Divert is proving what circularity can look like at scale.
Small actions compound into big impact. Hilary emphasizes that every household and individual has a role: the small choices we make daily can meaningfully reduce waste and shift the system.
Trusting your instincts is a sustainability superpower. Her advice to leaders feeling overwhelmed: trust your gut, stay aligned with your values, and keep moving toward impact.
Welcome back to It Shouldn’t Be This Hard!
In this episode, we’re digging deep into a crisis that’s hiding in plain sight: food waste. And why it’s one of the most overlooked drivers of climate change.
Our guest is Hilary Keates, Chief Marketing Officer at Divert, who has built a fascinating career path: from Citibank, to leading the launch of billion-dollar products at Gillette and P&G, to now helping tackle one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time.
Hilary opens up about her most prominent career pivots, what pulled her toward climate work, and why every single one of us has a role to play in solving the food waste problem.
Keep on reading to discover what we discussed.
The Three Pivotal Moments That Shaped Her Career
Hilary shares the turning points that defined her professional journey:
- Finance as a foundation → Starting at Citibank, where she learned the fundamentals of P&L and business discipline.
- Marketing at scale → Leading the iconic Gillette Fusion launch, which became the fastest P&G brand to hit $1B in sales.
- Pivot to sustainability → Moving to Indigo Agriculture to support regenerative farming, and now at Divert, where she’s closing the loop by tackling food waste at the end of the supply chain.
Food Waste Is a Climate Problem
The stats will shock you:
- 1/3 of all food in the U.S. goes to waste each year.
- That’s 25 million tons of food = about $1,500 per household down the bin.
- Food waste contributes more to climate change than cars.
At Divert, Hilary is working with major retail partners like Kroger, Albertsons, and Safeway to:
- Prevent waste before it happens.
- Redirect surplus food to organizations like Feeding America.
- Convert the rest into renewable energy instead of sending it to landfills.
Small Actions Add Up
Hilary believes real change starts with the everyday choices we make:
*"I believe wholeheartedly that everybody can make a difference in the world and the small things you do can make big things. If everyone tries to make a change, even if it's a small change, we'll get there." *
Advice for Sustainability Leaders
For anyone working in marketing or sustainability who feels overwhelmed, Hilary’s advice is simple:
“Trust your gut. It usually leads you down the right path.”
Reminding us that when instincts align, trust your decision-making.
Why Food Waste Shouldn’t Be This Hard
The episode sheds light on why food waste hasn’t yet captured the same public awareness as plastics or energy use even though its impact is massive. It’s a “job to be done,” and Divert is showing how both corporations and individuals can be part of the solution.
This was an energizing conversation highlighting the systemic impact of food waste and why solving food waste is one of the most powerful levers we have to fight climate change.
Tune in to hear the full conversation with Hilary Keates HERE. And don’t forget to subscribe! More grounded conversations are on the way.
Author:
Paloma Jacome
linkedin Paloma Jacome is content lead and Junior Strategist at Grounded. With over 8 years of experience at the intersection of business and sustainability, she has launched and led multiple ventures —including ECOAVSOLUTIONS, local sustainable audiovisual production company in Southern California— before bringing her entrepreneurial perspective to client work at Grounded. She holds a Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship and a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Innovation from Loyola Marymount University.
Paloma is also an active ambassador and city coordinator for the Los Angeles chapter of Top Tier Impact, organizing events that connect impact founders, investors, and sustainability professionals to collaborate on solving the most pressing challenges of our time.
As part of Grounded’s partnership with rePurpose Global, Paloma represented the agency in the Plastic Reality Project in India, an immersive program designed to experience the scale of plastic pollution firsthand and explore circular solutions addressing the crisis at its source. She is also recently certified in sustainability legislation and regulations for the fashion industry by the Sustainable Fashion School, strengthening her expertise in policy-driven transformation.
Paloma was a core co-author of Grounded’s debut white paper Policy to Profit: How New Rules Can Create Commercial Wins for Fashion—featured in Forbes—and continues to explore how circularity and regulation unlock commercial and societal value.
LinkedIn | paloma@grounded.world
