1. Sam Kass's father, Robert, was a teacher at the private, co-ed University of Chicago Laboratory Schools who taught President Obama's daughter Malia Obama in the 5th grade.
22 Facts About Sam Kass
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Sam Kass' mother, Valentine, is a science educator at the National Science Foundation and previously served as the director of Omnimax productions at the Museum of Science and Industry.
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Sam Kass attended high school at the Lab Schools, where he was on the varsity baseball team, and graduated in 1998.
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Sam Kass played baseball as a center fielder on a scholarship at Kansas City Kansas Community College and later transferred to Triton College.
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Sam Kass graduated with an AB in history in 2004 from the University of Chicago, where he played NCAA Division III baseball as a right fielder with a career.
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In 2003, Sam Kass finished his senior year of college abroad, training under chef Christian Domschitz in Vienna, Austria.
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Sam Kass continued his training while traveling around the world, including to New Zealand, Italy, and Mexico, before returning to Chicago in 2006 to work at the restaurant Avec under executive chef Paul Kahan.
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In 2007, Sam Kass opened his own personal chef company in Chicago, Inevitable Table, which focused on healthful and nutritious food.
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Sam Kass then became the personal chef to the Obamas while Barack Obama was serving in the United States Senate.
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In January 2009, Sam Kass went to work at the White House Office as First Lady Michelle Obama's Food Initiative coordinator, and joined the kitchen staff as an assistant chef under executive chef Cris Comerford.
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In 2010, Sam Kass was promoted to Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives.
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Sam Kass assisted the first lady in her efforts to promote healthy eating and the prevention of childhood obesity.
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Sam Kass is a promoter of sustainable farming and locally grown and organic foods and is a critic of modern agricultural producers and fertilizer and pesticide companies.
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In 2012, Sam Kass was named to the inaugural class of chefs in the American Chef Corps, a project he created with the US Department of State in conjunction with the James Beard Foundation to promote global diplomacy through culinary initiatives.
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Sam Kass made his first solo trip abroad for the program in July 2014, spending a week in the Republic of Korea.
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In 2014, Sam Kass requested to speak at the School Nutrition Association's convention in Boston.
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From constructing our Kitchen Garden to brewing our own Honey Brown Ale, Sam Kass has left an indelible mark on the White House.
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Sam Kass joined the project as an investor when Sprig announced a $45 million funding round.
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In July 2015, Sam Kass was named a Director's Fellow at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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On July 29,2015, Sam Kass was appointed Senior Food Analyst at NBC News.
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In September 2013, Sam Kass became engaged to MSNBC television anchor Alex Wagner.
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Sam Kass gave birth to their second son, Rafael, on April 16,2019.