The Evolved Network Served Up Purpose With a Side of Pie

Bob Benenson
Jul 27
2 min read

While Their Podcast Recording is Processed, a Look at the Chef Picnic

The Evolved Network is a non-profit, launched in 2020, that works with Chicago schools to provide underprivileged youths with food education, cooking lessons and life skills.

To amplify the organization's impact, founder and CEO Sebastian White last year launched a podcast — titled By Accident, Choice, or Grace — in which he interviewed leaders and experts from a range of disciplines, all with the shared goal of creating a better and more accessible food system.

And to mark the completion of year 1, The Evolved Network held a unique event on Saturday (July 25) at the urban farm of the Just Roots non-profit in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood.

The event began with a live recording of a podcast featuring previous guests seen in the photo above: From left, writer and storyteller Ximena N. Beltran Quon Kiu, who moderated the discussion; Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn, executive director of the Pilot Light food education non-profit; Jessyca Dudley, founder and CEO of Bold Ventures, which promotes philanthropy for racial equity and social justice; Sarah Stegner, chef and co-owner of Prairie Grass Cafe in suburban Northbrook and a leader in Chicago's robust chef philanthropy community; Sebastian White; Selma Sims, CEO of Gardeneers, which installs and manages school gardens on the city's South and West sides; Anna Erickson, a teacher at William Ray Elementary School in the Hyde Park neighborhood, where Sebastian provides lessons and guidance; and local farmer organizer Nick Davis.

Local Food Forum will provide a takeaways article and a link to the podcast after it is posted. What we can share now is the picnic part.

Before he started The Evolved Network, Sebastian was a clinical psychotherapist who worked with at-risk middle school students in Waukegan. A self-taught chef, he has benefited greatly from the support and partnership of many Chicago-area chefs — none more so than Sarah Stegner (photo above), who learned about The Evolved Network early on and introduced Sebastian to many other chefs and advocates.

Winner of two James Beard Foundation culinary awards, Sarah co-founded Green City Market in 1999 and has been a leader of the Chicago Chefs Cook culinary philanthropy non-profit.

Sarah's dish for the picnic included heirloom tomatoes, white beans and caramelized onions.

Sebastian, who is known for his creative use of ingredients, served a curried chicken salad on fried wonton.

Chef Christine Cikowski of Honey Butter Fried Chicken presented a buffalo-sauced chicken sandwich.

Michael Ciapciak, owner of Bang Bang Pie Shop and co-founder of Pretty Cool Ice Cream, added raspberry whipped cream to his passion fruit key lime pie.