Meet Arnali Ray

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arnali Ray. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arnali below.

Hi Arnali , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

My work ethic is deeply rooted in my family’s immigrant story. My parents came to this country from India fifty years ago and built their life from the ground up through sheer determination and merit. Watching them navigate this journey taught me invaluable lessons about perseverance and self-reliance – principles that gave me the confidence to forge my own path across the country and start a life in Los Angeles.

Besides my family, I have had friends, mentors, and colleagues that I’ve met along the way who have further shaped my approach to work. Being surrounded by peers and professionals who share this drive has shown me that success isn’t just about working hard – it’s about being reliable, detail-oriented, and following through on commitments.

Time and time again, I’ve seen how consistent effort yields meaningful results, which only reinforces these core values that started with my parents’ example.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I have had the privilege of running this incredible non-profit organization called Hollywood Food Coalition. It is an organization that is dedicated to nourishing our community, especially our most vulnerable neighbors. We take perfectly edible food before it heads to our landfills and we use them to make delicious meals in addition to sharing food with hundreds of others community based organizations across LA County. Everything we do is in collaboration with our community, especially the people we serve.

We began as a group of neighbors united by a shared desire to help feed our community, and for decades, our efforts were entirely volunteer-driven. As we grew, so did our understanding of what it takes to sustain and expand our work while staying true to our communal ethos. Eventually, we recognized that adding staff, alongside our dedicated volunteers, was essential to maintaining the continuity of our programs and upholding the standard of care we strive to provide.

For years, as we served meals on the streets and operated out of various rented kitchens, we’ve envisioned a space to truly call our own, a thoughtfully designed home for our Community Dinner program to provide a dignified dining experience. Our vision is a welcoming, beautifully designed space where guests can sit and enjoy a multi-course meal while also accessing other services such as healthcare(physical and mental health), housing navigation, and recreational activities.

As we continue to grow, our Community Exchange program, which rescues surplus food and redistributes it to organizations around Los Angeles, is preparing to move into a new warehouse, which will serve as a collaborative food hub alongside other organizations dedicated to addressing food insecurity. This shared space will allow us to rescue, store, and distribute food more efficiently, strengthening partnerships and expanding our reach to communities in need. Our recent wildfire response demonstrated just how vital these collaborations are: through the Exchange, we swiftly mobilized food and supplies to impacted areas, reinforcing our role in both emergency relief and long-term support. As we look ahead, we remain committed to building sustainable solutions that ensure food and resources are available to all Angelenos, no matter the circumstances.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back on my journey, three qualities stand out as having the greatest impact: the ability to collaborate, patience, and listening.

Collaboration was key in nearly every part of my growth. I realized early on that success is often achieved through teamwork and diverse perspectives. For anyone starting out, I recommend seeking out opportunities to collaborate. It builds essential interpersonal skills and opens doors to new insights and ideas.

Patience played a major role in navigating setbacks and slow progress. In a world that values speed, it’s easy to get discouraged, but I’ve learned that true growth takes time. It’s important to embrace the process and trust that long-term success comes with persistence and steady effort.

The final quality that shaped my journey is listening. It’s easy to overlook this skill, but I’ve found that the ability to truly listen to others is invaluable. When we listen with intent, we gain new insights, build stronger relationships, and prevent misunderstandings that could derail progress. Listening goes beyond hearing words; it’s about understanding the context, asking the right questions, and showing empathy. For anyone starting out, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to actively listen, not just to speak. Practice focusing fully on conversations, asking questions that deepen your understanding, and being present. Listening doesn’t just make you a better communicator, it builds trust and opens doors to learning and connection.

In the end, these three qualities—collaboration, patience, and listening—have been foundational to my journey. My advice to anyone starting out: develop these skills intentionally. They may not produce immediate results, but they’ll build a strong foundation for long-term success.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

One of the biggest challenges I’m facing right now is addressing workforce issues. Our people are our most valuable asset, and ensuring they receive livable wages and the necessary support, especially our frontline teams, is something that weighs heavily on my mind. As the organization is in a period of growth, it’s crucial to prioritize the well-being of our staff, particularly since they are the ones who provide care to the people we serve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hofoco.org
• Instagram: hollywoodfoodco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoFoCo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hofoco
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMK9dQSFSjxIfGzPH8qjotQ

Image Credits

Hollywood Food Coalition