Social Media Founding, Growth, Next steps

Stacy Winters created the Omaha Food Lovers in August 2019 to share his passion for food and to create a local foodie community where people feel welcome to respectfully discuss all things food.  The group has exploded beyond anyone's wildest dreams.  Prior to the pandemic, the group had just over 16,000 members and almost two years later has grown to over 73,000 members along with 11 Moderators.  The group has provided an amazing way for members to learn about new places in and around Omaha and has given restauranteurs a great place to advertise their offerings for free and interact directly with their customers.  The group has become about much more than just food.  It is about community, giving back and creating relationships.  As a group, we have raised over $170,000 ($340,000 with generous matches) during the past two December’s for the Food Bank for the Heartland.  It has also spawned an incredible business opportunity with the recent launch of the FoodLovers app!