Sam Kass

Kass is currently represented by Washington Speakers Bureau for public engagements. The Bureau states that Kass "offers fresh and informative insights as he explores the latest developments in health, wellness, and the future of consumption", and that he "is working on two books about the future and impact of food, one of which will be in the form of a cookbook, scheduled for release in 2017."

In March 2017, the World Economic Forum (WEF) named Kass to its 2017 Class of Young Global Leaders, intended to recognise people under the age of 40 who the WEF considers to be "pushing boundaries and rethinking the world around them."

In January 2016, Kass launched a food technology company, TROVE, an investment, strategy, and communications consultancy created to "work with corporations both big and small who are serious about transforming our health, climate and planet through food." In February 2016, Woman's Day magazine named Kass one of its Red Dress Awards honorees, an annual award for outstanding achievement in encouraging health and fitness.

In April 2016, California-based food technology company Innit, Inc. announced Kass had joined the team as its Chief Consumer Experience Officer.

In May 2016, Kass became a partner in the newly launched venture capital fund Acre Venture Partners, a $125 million fund designed to inspire "collaborative disruption" with projects that focus on "transparency, health, and sustainability" in the global "food system". Campbell Soup is the sole limited partner in the fund, which is independent of the packaged-food company.

Samuel David Kass (born 1980) is an American political advisor, chef, and news personality, who served as President Barack Obama's Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy, Executive Director for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, and as an Assistant Chef in the White House. On July 29, 2015, NBC News announced the appointment of Kass as a senior food analyst, charged with covering topics such as healthful eating, food trends and policy on all platforms of NBC News.

As of May 2015, Kass is a partner in Sprig, a meal-delivery service based in the San Francisco Bay Area, founded in 2013. He joined the project as an investor when Sprig announced a $45 million funding round.

In July 2015, Kass was named a Director's Fellow at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts. On July 29, 2015, Kass was appointed Senior Food Analyst at NBC News.

In November 2015, Kass delivered a TED Talk in Manhattan, entitled "Want kids to learn well? Feed them well". TED Talks Live writes that, in this talk, Kass "discusses the role schools can play in nourishing students' bodies in addition to their minds".

In October 2015, the James Beard Foundation honored Kass with its 2015 Leadership Award "for his work toward nationwide food-policy initiatives that focus on sustainable and nutritious ingredients, and efforts to raise awareness of childhood obesity, hunger, and nutrition issues."

In 2014, Kass requested to speak at the School Nutrition Association's convention in Boston. However, his request was denied due to Kass's advisory position at the White House and the strains between the association and the first lady.

On December 8, 2014, the White House announced Kass's departure, issuing a statement in which Barack and Michelle Obama saluted his "tenure of dedicated service." Barack Obama stated:

His last official day at the White House was Friday, December 19, 2014.

After stepping down from his post at the White House, Kass moved to Brooklyn, New York. On August 30, 2014, Kass and Wagner were married in a ceremony at the restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York. The President, First Lady, and the First Daughters attended the wedding. In 2017, Wagner gave birth to their son, Cy.

In September 2013, Kass became engaged to MSNBC television anchor Alex Wagner.

In 2012, 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. Kass made his first solo trip abroad for the program in July 2014, spending a week in the Republic of Korea. During his visit sponsored by the US Embassy and Brand USA, Kass promoted Let's Move!, met with culinary students, celebrated Independence Day at the US Embassy's party, learned to cook the traditional dish Bulgogi at the request of President Obama, and promoted culinary tourism to the US.

In January 2009, 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. In 2010, Kass was promoted to Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives. In 2013, Kass was named Let's Move! Executive Director and promoted to Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy.

In 2007, Kass opened his own personal chef company in Chicago, Inevitable Table, which focused on healthful and nutritious food. He then became the personal chef to the Obamas while Barack Obama was serving in the United States Senate.

During his junior year of college, Kass worked at the restaurant 312 Chicago under chef Dean Zanella. In 2003, Kass finished his senior year of college abroad, training under chef Christian Domschitz in Vienna, Austria. He 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.

Kass attended high school at the Lab Schools, where he was on the varsity baseball team, and graduated in 1998. He played baseball as a center fielder on a scholarship at Kansas City Kansas Community College and later transferred to Triton College. He graduated with an AB in history in 2004 from the University of Chicago, where he also played NCAA Division III baseball as a right fielder with a career .366 batting average, ranking among the best in program history.