Rose Saia

Rose Saia has focused on alleviating food insecurity for the past ten years. Born and raised in Boston, she regularly lived with food insecurity and profoundly understands the challenges faced by so many to bring food and economic stability to their families. She brings that perspective to her work at Centre Street Food Pantry where, in response to the pandemic, she transitioned the operation to a consistent outdoor distribution model that has distributed over 2 million pounds of food to thousands of households. Prior to Centre Street she was the Pantry Director at Open Table, a Metrowest regional food relief agency that provided a fresh grocery market and on-site prepared meals to thousands of people every year. In parallel she has been a board member and head cook at a community supper in Acton where she oversees and prepares 200 meals for each service.

Throughout her early career in high technology, she gave her time to non-profit and social action causes. As President/CEO of her own private technology company, she received back-to-back awards from the Massachusetts High Technology Council due to programs she developed for her employees to support local non-profit organizations as part of their workday. As a small business owner, she lent her voice and expertise to national organizations and local legislators to raise wages for workers, providing a platform for the “Raise Up Massachusetts” campaign that successfully increased minimum wage incrementally over five years to its current level.

She brings her personal experiences to audiences as a storyteller at National Public Radio’s “The Moth.” She has produced storytelling events, some of which specifically build community and raise funds for non-profit organizations. Her perspectives have been published in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and MetroWest newspapers where she was a regular columnist and contributor.

She raised a blended family of children who are grown so she now delights in doting on her black Labrador retriever, hiking in the White Mountains and relaxing with her husband and friends.