Jessica Wiederhorn Proves That Soul & Profit Can Co-exist at Fat Brands
In advance of Street Fight LIVE 2025, we’d like you to “meet” some of the 30+ thought leaders taking the stage on September 30th. Street Fight publishes a regular column called “Brands With Soul,” and we’re now bringing it to life with Jessica Wiederhorn, President and Founding Board Member of the Fat Brands Foundation.
What is “soul” in the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem? It encompasses philanthropic efforts, community involvement, and an internal culture of respect and positive thinking.
We understand you went from financial services to the MULO restaurant world. What have been some of the biggest similarities and differences?
“When I made the shift to the restaurant industry and entered the world of hospitality, I immediately fell in love with it. The warm, friendly nature of the people, the genuine interest in growth and innovation, and the level of creativity are unmatched. I found financial services to be more formal and a little less forgiving. At FAT Brands, I manage our philanthropy arm and Non-Traditional Business Development. On the business development side, I am still working with complex and long sales cycles as I did in my role in financial services. For philanthropy, much of my inspiration came from the activities and organizations we supported at my previous companies, which I was seeking to build off of at FAT Brands.”
Why is philanthropy such a key part of business today?
“There is almost an expectation now that companies are key pillars of their communities and give back to them. Why show up and build a site if you can’t make the community around it better in some way other than simply offering your product or service? When companies are in their early stages, it may be difficult to just give money away to local organizations, but there is much you can do. You can still provide local support via your product or service or volunteer with a local organization. No matter how small it may seem, local organizations and the community overall (your customers) will take notice of your genuine care in making a difference.”
How do you get a for-profit organization to care about giving?
“Giving is a broad-based term. Giving can mean something financial, or providing resources, time, people, product, or services- so really, there are all levels of giving! No matter how small or large, you can contribute, there is no one-size-fits-all. Despite the obvious – it feels good to do good – there are company benefits to having philanthropy as part of your culture. One is getting your employees engaged. Retaining and engaging employees is becoming increasingly difficult with changes to technology and office status. Volunteering or fundraising for a cause can unite employees, stretching across all geographies and titles within a company.
Additionally, partnering with local organizations benefits both parties. The more visibility and cross-promotion, the better the outcome for all involved. And of course, there’s the statistics! According to the Journal of Business Ethics, companies that give strategically to causes aligned with business goals saw stock prices increase by 1.5-2.5% following announcements of major philanthropic efforts. Likewise, companies that actively give back outperform their competitors by 3.5% to 5% in financial performance, on average, according to London Business School and Harvard Business Review.”
What causes have you funded? Summary of results?
“One thing that I take pride in with FAT Brands Foundation is the breadth of causes that we support. Our mission is to back causes in FAT Brands’ communities that provide essential programs to help families and communities thrive. This enables us to make an impact across diverse areas, including health, education, veterans, animal welfare and more. Since awarding our first grant in 2023, we have provided approximately $700,000 in funding to 145 local non-profits, and we are still in our early stages as an organization!”
What else do you do in your own life to “give back?” Do for fun?
“Philanthropy has always been a part of my DNA. I started out as a Girl Scout planting tree, then later, buying and organizing holiday gifts for children and families in Seattle and Los Angeles. I served as a Board Member for New Image Emergency Shelter in downtown LA and volunteered with The A List during the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires. In 2019, I started a non-profit called Society of Saleswomen (now SoS) to serve as a collaborative, professional organization for connection and growth.
It was through this and the FAT Brands Foundation, I was recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2024 as the Emerging Non-Profit Leader of the Year. Outside of giving back, I work full-time for FAT Brands in Non-Traditional Business Development, placing our restaurants in locations like Stanford University and Great Wolf Lodge Resorts. Outside of my professional life, I am a stepmom/friend to 6 adult children, and a bonus grandmother to 6 little ones. I love college football, skiing, knitting, yoga and Pilates, reading, and my fur creatures, Pepperoni and Fritz.”
We invite you to join us and hear from Jessica Wiederhorn of Fat Brands (as well as other MULO leaders from companies like TikTok, Assembly and Yelp) at Street Fight LIVE 2025 , September 30th in Los Angeles. Who knows…maybe you’ll even get a little more “soul” in your own life & business.
