Since 2011, Catalyst Kitchens (CK) has united nonprofit culinary training programs into a powerful peer-led community, with a goal to make each of the individual member organizations stronger and uplift each other’s programs.
The Jacques Pépin Foundation has been a proud partner of the CK member network since 2016. The JPF has not only provided grant funding to individual CK members but has also supported the infrastructure of Catalyst Kitchens that allows all members to focus on what they do best: change lives through food and opportunity.
Five members of the JPF team attended this year’s Catalyst Kitchens National Summit hosted by CK member Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, and it was a powerful reminder that our work at the JPF truly matters. Community Kitchens are not just classrooms; they are innovation centers responding to the needs of their respective communities. They build skills, restore dignity, and open doors to opportunity. They solve for inequity and need and are very often the first to address food insecurity, workforce shortages, and barriers to employment in their communities.
As part of the 3-day conference programming, the JPF team led a variety of impactful presentations. Our Executive Director Rollie Wesen led a learning track session focused on the video curriculum teaching tools the JPF is developing in partnership with Catalyst Kitchens; Director of Grants and Membership Jennifer Quigley-Harris facilitated fundraising and communications sessions to share ideas of how funders and grantees can truly work together as partners; and Video & Content Director Tina Salter spent time interviewing and filming CK members about their work and our shared missions. Also in attendance, Director of Philanthropy Tula Gogolak and President of the Board of Directors Brian Maynard engaged in inspiring and collaborative conversations that fuel our shared mission.
One of the highlights of the Summit was the JPF’s 90/90 Celebration at the Gala hosted by Community Kitchen Pittsburgh and the Catalyst Kitchens Network. The evening was not just a dinner; it was a celebration of meaningful collaboration and culinary excellence.
Chefs from across the region contributed to the delicious menu, including Catalyst Kitchens Member Chef teams led by Chef Bruce Harris and Dan Czerpak from Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, Chef Adam Livow of Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant of The Prospect KC. Each course showcased the creativity, skill, and dedication that drive the work of community kitchens nationwide.
At the intersection of supporting the important work of JPF Grantees and honoring Jacques’ legacy as a culinary educator, this 90/90 Dinner was an especially meaningful part of the yearlong birthday celebration.
For the JPF, the Catalyst Kitchens National Summit reaffirmed what nearly 10 years of partnership has shown: when we support culinary training, we invest in dignity, equity, hope, and communities nationwide. As we celebrate the past, we look to the future to continue to grow with the entire Catalyst Kitchens Member Network.
