Sam Kass facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sam Kass
Kass in 2009
Born	Samuel David Kass 1980 (age 44–45) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Chicago (AB)
Occupation	Chef, Nutrition Policy Consultant
Spouse(s)	Alex Wagner ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Valentine Hertz Kass Robert Kass
Family	Helen Valentine (great-grandmother)

Samuel David Kass (born 1980) is an American chef and expert in food policy. He worked for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Sam Kass was a Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy. He also led the First Lady's Let's Move! campaign. This campaign helped kids and families eat healthier. He also worked as an assistant chef in the White House. After his time at the White House, he became a food analyst for NBC News. He talks about healthy eating and food trends.

Early Life and Education

Sam Kass was born in Chicago. He grew up in a Jewish family. His father, Robert, was a teacher. He taught President Obama's daughter, Malia Obama, in fifth grade. Sam's mother, Valentine, worked in science education. His great-grandmother, Helen Valentine, started Seventeen magazine.

Sam went to high school at the Lab Schools. He played on the baseball team there. He also played baseball in college. He studied history at the University of Chicago. He graduated in 2004.

While in college, Sam started working in restaurants. He trained with chefs in Chicago and in Vienna, Austria. He also traveled around the world. He learned about cooking in New Zealand, Italy, and Mexico. These experiences helped him become a skilled chef.

Sam Kass's Career Journey

In 2007, Sam Kass started his own cooking business in Chicago. It was called Inevitable Table. He focused on making healthy and nutritious meals. He later became the personal chef for the Obama family. This was before Barack Obama became President.

Working at the White House

In 2009, Sam Kass joined the White House Office. He became the Food Initiative Coordinator for First Lady Michelle Obama. He also worked as an assistant chef. In 2010, he became a Senior Policy Advisor. His job was to help with healthy food initiatives. By 2013, he was leading the Let's Move! campaign. He was also a Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy.

Sam helped Michelle Obama create the first big vegetable garden at the White House. This garden was special. It did not use harmful chemicals like herbicides or pesticides.

He also helped the First Lady promote healthy eating. They worked to prevent childhood obesity. Sam was a main planner for the Let's Move! campaign. This campaign worked with private companies. Their goal was to lower childhood obesity to 5% by 2030. Fast Company magazine recognized him for this work. They named him one of the 100 Most Creative People in 2011.

Sam Kass supports farming that is good for the environment. He likes food that is grown locally and is organic. He has spoken out against some modern farming methods. He also criticized the national school lunch program. He said it had too much fat and sugar.

In 2012, Sam helped create the American Chef Corps. This program uses cooking to build friendships between countries. He traveled to the Republic of Korea for this program. He promoted healthy eating and learned to cook local dishes.

Sam Kass left the White House in December 2014. Both President Obama and Michelle Obama praised his work. They thanked him for helping families eat healthier.

Life After the White House

After leaving the White House, Sam Kass continued his work with food. In 2015, he became a partner at Sprig. This company delivers meals. He also became a Director's Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. Later that year, he joined NBC News as a Senior Food Analyst.

In November 2015, Sam gave a TED Talk. It was called "Want kids to learn well? Feed them well." In his talk, he discussed how schools can help students by providing good food.

The James Beard Foundation honored Sam Kass in 2015. They gave him a Leadership Award. This was for his work on food policies. These policies focused on healthy ingredients. They also raised awareness about childhood obesity and hunger.

In 2016, Sam started a company called TROVE. It helps businesses that want to improve health and the planet through food. He also joined a food technology company called Innit, Inc. He became a partner in a fund called Acre Venture Partners. This fund supports projects that focus on healthy and sustainable food.

In 2017, the World Economic Forum named Sam Kass a Young Global Leader. This award recognizes people under 40 who are making a big difference in the world.

Personal Life

In 2013, Sam Kass got engaged to MSNBC television anchor Alex Wagner. They got married on August 30, 2014. The Obamas attended their wedding. Sam and Alex have two sons. Their first son, Cy, was born in 2017. Their second son, Rafael, was born in 2019. Sam Kass and his family live in Brooklyn, New York.