SUMMER 2025
THE EVOLVED NETWORK NEWSLETTER
NOTE FROM SEBASTIAN
Dear Friends,
Summer has come and gone fast –– we hope you all have found ways to stay cool and grounded!
As always, TEN has welcomed a summer of great growth and action. From the kick-off of long-awaited projects to the formation of new, cross-country partnerships, we have made the most of this summer season. Our seeds are not only planted, they’re turning into bountiful greenery that will be foundational to a strong, exciting start to the new school year.
Enjoy this newsletter and look out for more updates. As always, we can’t do this without you –– thank you for pushing us forward!
Warmly,
Sebastian & Team
Summer has come and gone fast –– we hope you all have found ways to stay cool and grounded!
As always, TEN has welcomed a summer of great growth and action. From the kick-off of long-awaited projects to the formation of new, cross-country partnerships, we have made the most of this summer season. Our seeds are not only planted, they’re turning into bountiful greenery that will be foundational to a strong, exciting start to the new school year.
Enjoy this newsletter and look out for more updates. As always, we can’t do this without you –– thank you for pushing us forward!
Warmly,
Sebastian & Team
TEN MEETS DALLAS
This summer, Chef Sebastian traveled to Dallas to join Fit and Faithful Living’s (FFL) Discover U21 Summer Camp, a leadership program modeling the values of cofounder and former New England Patriot, Reggie Dupard. During their time together, students were introduced to The Evolved Network Way and other key tenants of TEN’s work over a lively cooking challenge with Chef Sebastian.
Quote 1: “Throughout the challenge I’ve learned that communication between the team is critical in the kitchen and with just a few items, you can make something remarkable.” - Keira Hampton, FFL student
Quote 2: “After participating in the cooking challenge, I realized the importance of presentation and the value of trusting the process. Even when the initial result wasn’t exactly what our team envisioned, I learned not to doubt ourselves.” - Lyanna Cardoso, FFL student
Quote 3: “The fire our organization brings to the kitchen when competing in this challenge brings out a special way for students to learn how to be creative, learn how to evolve their own skills and ideas within their teams.” -Mykah Black, FFL Instructor
Special thanks to LaChanda DuPard for her incredible leadership in welcoming TEN into their incredible work!
Quote 2: “After participating in the cooking challenge, I realized the importance of presentation and the value of trusting the process. Even when the initial result wasn’t exactly what our team envisioned, I learned not to doubt ourselves.” - Lyanna Cardoso, FFL student
Quote 3: “The fire our organization brings to the kitchen when competing in this challenge brings out a special way for students to learn how to be creative, learn how to evolve their own skills and ideas within their teams.” -Mykah Black, FFL Instructor
Special thanks to LaChanda DuPard for her incredible leadership in welcoming TEN into their incredible work!
A NEW PARTNERSHIP
TEN is excited to announce our newest partner for the 2025-2026 school year: National Teacher’s Academy (NTA). Located in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood, NTA serves over 750 students up to eighth grade, 89% of whom identify as ethnic minorities and 61% of whom come from low-income households. NTA inspires a culture of social-emotional and academic excellence, supporting students and their families to become well-equipped advocates for themselves and their community. We look forward to nurturing this partnership with NTA and seeing it grow this year and beyond!
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Last month, TEN premiered the first episode of our podcast, By Accident, Choice, or Grace. This highly-anticipated project features a series of conversations with Sebastian and various changemakers within Chicago’s food, education, and nonprofit communities. These conversations live at the heart of TEN’s work and mission –– we are thrilled to invite you all into them.
You can find all episodes above on the streaming platform of your choice. Share, review, and check-in for our next conversation!
WELL MINDS, WELL COMMUNITY
Last month, Prairie Grass Cafe welcomed TEN and 45 guests for an evening of two of our favorite things –– delicious food and meaningful conversation. Hosted by Chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris, this benefit dinner featured a family-style meal from the aforementioned Chefs, as well as Chef Sebastian (Evolved Kitchen and Garden) and Chefs Christine Cikowski, Cam Waron, and Josh Kulp (Honey Butter Fried Chicken).
The topic of our evening was mental health awareness and wellness for Chicago youth, a critical value of TEN’s programming. Chef Sebastian was joined in a discussion on mental health by moderator and Chicago FOX newscaster, Sylvia Perez, and psychotherapist and winner of Chicago’s 2024 Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest, Ben Shabad, LCPC.
Thank you to everyone who made this evening possible and contributed to our efforts to support healthy, resilient young minds!
Thank you to everyone who made this evening possible and contributed to our efforts to support healthy, resilient young minds!
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
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Evening of GratitudeEarlier this month, we gathered with a group of TEN sponsors and donors at Publican Quality Meats for an evening of gratitude and connection. Thank you to Chefs Rob Levitt, Sarah Grueneberg, Bailey Sullivan, and Paul Kahan for providing the evening’s menu. We can’t express how honored we are to be supported by such esteemed chefs and motivated supporters. -
Placemats EvolutionOur placemats movement is growing! You can now find our seasonal A Young Chef’s Journal worksheets at 18 partnering restaurants, including: Floriole, Verzenay, Luella’s Southern Kitchen, Demera, Publican Quality Bread, Dove’s, Vistro Prime, Gaijin, Mi Tocaya, Prairie Grass Cafe, Nakorn, Saigon Sisters, CIMA Hotel, Apolonia, JT Sandwich Shop, ETC., Molly’s Cupcakes, Soul & Smoke, and Mariano's.
We’re sending a special thanks to Lurie’s Children’s Hospital of Chicago for sponsoring this initiative, as well as all of our partners and extended supporters for helping it to grow!
COMING SOON...
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Eat & Evolve 2025We’re drawing closer to our annual Eat & Evolve fundraiser — a night where food, story, and community meet. This year’s gathering will be held on Monday, November 3, 2025 | 6–8:30 PM in the historic Merchandise Mart, featuring a stellar lineup of Chicago chefs in a setting as unforgettable as the evening itself. -
Expanding Our CurriculumWe have been in the process of developing a curriculum for our new Horticulture Program. As we kickoff, we are seeking financial support in bringing on our program developer and seasoned horticulturalist full-time to bring our plans to fruition. We are confident that this addition to our team and programmatic offerings will be invaluable to our ability to care for and connect to our vision and the young people it serves.
WANT TO VOLUNTEER WITH US?
One of our goals for this year is to create more opportunities for you––our TEN friends and supporters––to experience the magic this work creates up close and personal. We will soon be adding a volunteer form to our website to facilitate these opportunities, so stay tuned for more information to come!
With gratitude,
The Evolved Network Team
The Evolved Network Team