Shef, an online marketplace for local homemade food, today announced the addition of two executive hires to continue to drive Shef’s growth. Amy Dudley, a former top communications aide to Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Tim Kaine and who previously led communications at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative , joins as Head of Communications. Shef also welcomes Emma Radin, who joins as Head of Partnerships and Community from Airbnb, where she led Partnerships for Airbnb Experiences and the company’s Hosting business.
Launched in 2019, Shef gives talented local cooks who utilize the platform, 81% of whom identify as female, an opportunity to earn meaningful income doing what they love – sharing authentic, homemade food with their neighbors. The name “Shef” has the word “she” in it as an homage to co-founders Alvin Salehi and Joey Grassia’s mothers, both of whom were talented home cooks and helped inspire the idea for the platform.
As a company, Shef has grown to approximately 100 employees, with nearly 50% identifying as female – including four out of nine members of the executive leadership team. This includes General Counsel and Head of People Danielle Merida and Head of Operations Anna Wan.
“We are thrilled to welcome Amy and Emma to the Shef team. It’s an honor to bring on two more leaders with such distinguished backgrounds and valuable experience,” said Shef founders Joey Grassia and Alvin Salehi. “Strategic communications, partnerships, and community engagement will be key to achieving Shef’s mission of building a community devoted to economic empowerment and cultural inclusivity that enables anyone to feed their neighbor.”
Amy Dudley brings more than 15 years of experience serving in senior communications roles at the highest levels of government, politics, and philanthropy – including the Obama-Biden White House, the U.S. Senate, and CZI, one of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations. As Shef’s first Head of Communications, Dudley will manage all external and strategic communications for the fast-growing startup, as well as support Shef’s public policy efforts.
“When I first heard about Shef, I knew I needed to be a part of this company and its mission,” said Dudley. “Every cook and every dish on Shef has a unique and powerful story to tell. I’m grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on the Shef community and the incredible company Alvin and Joey have built, while also supporting an important movement to expand economic opportunity in communities across the country.”
Over her 20 year career, Emma Radin has led Partnerships and Business Development teams at high growth consumer and marketplace companies including Yahoo, Apple, and most recently Airbnb. Radin brings to Shef her first-hand experience operating and scaling in high growth companies, deep industry relationships, and a passion for developing strategic brand, community, and cultural alliances. She also brings a passion and focus on partnerships that support economic empowerment, promote female entrepreneurship, and cultural diversity. In her role at Shef, Radin will oversee the vision, strategy, and execution of partnerships and community engagement that supports Shef’s mission.
“The potential for Shef to break down barriers and empower local food entrepreneurs – particularly women and immigrants – around the country is enormous,” said Radin. “I couldn’t be more excited to lead the development of innovative programs and initiatives that will help the Shef community succeed, as well as establish meaningful partnerships to support the company’s growth and achieve its mission.”
About Shef
Founded in 2019 by first-generation Americans Alvin Salehi and Joey Grassia, Shef is an online marketplace for local, homemade food. The service is currently available in several markets across the United States, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Chicago, Houston, Austin, Boston, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
To order food from a local cook in your area, or for more information on how to become a cook on the platform, visit www.shef.com.
