This Chef Fled a War-Torn Country as a Child. Now She’s Helping Other Refugees Rebuild Their Lives.

Chef Jennifer Sebasigari's culinary journey has been as unconventional as one could imagine. From aspiring to be a celebrity chef to championing immigrant and refugee causes by founding the SEBAS Foundation, Sebasigari's story is one of transformation and empowerment.

Listen now to learn more about pursuing celebrity chef dreams, leveraging social media, and the annual Live Fire Fest charity event.

#entrepreneur #toast #sebasfoundation #livefirefeast

Chapters:

[02:40] - Chef Jennifer's First Cooking Experience

[07:18] - Turning Struggle Into a Blessing

[14:01] - Deciding to Go to Culinary School

[21:43] - Finding Her Voice Online

[24:50] - Lessons Learned While Modeling

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Episode Links:

Jennifer Sebasigari Instagram

Jennifer Sebasigari TedX Talk

Jennifer Sebasigari TikTok

SEBAS Foundation Online

SEBAS Foundation Instagram

Table of Nations Show Online

Table of Nations Instagram

Takeaways:

Celebrity Chef Dreams Deferred - Chef Jennifer Sebasigari initially wanted to be a celebrity chef after seeing the likes of Giada De Laurentiis on TV. Once enrolled into culinary school, Sebasigari quickly realized that the path to becoming a celebrity chef was much different than she planned.

Live Fire Feast Fundraiser - As a refugee, Jennifer Sebasigari has an intimate understanding of the plight of the underrepresented. As part of her SEBAS Foundation, she has created the Life Fire Feast, taking place in Houston every summer. The event hires immigrant and refugee-led businesses and raises money for the cause as well.

Restaurant Story Telling: Just Start Posting - Jennifer Sebasigari had quite the online following prior to becoming a chef. Now, in the food business, she encourages restaurant owners to post early and often to share their stories with more people.

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ABOUT CHEF JENNIFER SEBASIGARI —

Chef Jennifer Sebasigari is a refugee turned chef and philanthropist. Born in the East African country of Burundi, her family relocated to Austin, TX from a Cameroon refugee camp while she was a teenager. Sebasigari began building a community online in around 2012 and graduated with honors from Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, TX. After interning at Disney, she found her way into Oxheart. She is trailblazing a new purpose as the Founder of the SEBAS Foundation, using her influence to shed light on the immigrants and refugees that help feed the US.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Kim Malek, Meredith Sandland, Jon Taffer, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

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