Richard Loat

Best known as founder and CEO of Sport For Food, Richard Loat is a Canadian philanthropist and businessman. He founded Five Hole For Food in 2010, an original idea in which he travelled across the country inviting people to play hockey in exchange for a food donation. The concept soon spread to the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, and the United States, and resulted in an appearance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Loat came up with the idea for Five Hole For Food while he was still a student at Canada’s Simon Fraser University. Focusing on seasons in which food banks typically have low stock, he invited Canadians in various cities to play street hockey in exchange for a food donation. He discovered that human connection is the key to a successful change making campaign, and the result was popular, engaging, and fun. It quickly branched out to multiple countries and additional sports such as basketball and football. After just a few years, the organization had raised over one million pounds of food.

A passionate philanthropist, he has been a Response Team Lead at ShelterBox for several years, leading teams into natural disasters in the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Kenya, and more. He’s also an advisor for numerous other organizations including PULSÍTOS, Your Town CIC, and the Homeless World Cup Foundation. A globally focused, high-achieving project manager and marketing strategist, he’s worked with some of the world’s most popular companies including Mercedes-Benz, BT Sport, and the International Olympic Committee. His business background includes positions at Laureus, Comic Relief, and Red Bull Media House.