You'll never guess what 3 words Megan, Owner #1302, uses to describe herself...not to mention she has a super interesting and impactful job. Read all about her!

Tell us your full name – as well as who else shares your fridge.

My name is Megan Whitney, and I share my fridge in Uptown with my fantastic roommate, Dennis. It's always stocked with Cholula, taco supplies and wine.

What motivated you to become an Owner of Chicago Market?

So many things motivated me to jump on board -- supporting small businesses (my mom owned a gift shop and I know how challenging it is to stay afloat), my love of cooking with fresh, local ingredients, expanding my community and being a part of building a co-op from the ground up.

What type of work do you do?

As a corporate fundraiser at Feeding America, I work with our newest partners on creating cause-marketing campaigns and employee engagement opportunities. It's a pretty great gig to help ensure that no one has to worry about where their next meal is coming from. As a network of 200 food banks, we're focused on feeding people today and ending hunger tomorrow. 

What else is really important to you…and why?

Equity and inclusion is really important to me, especially in the area of hunger and health. (Oh, hey, Chicago Market feels the same and is just now launching an Outreach and Inclusion team and we have info about our commitment to Accessibility and Inclusion on our website!)

Is there something new you’d like to learn or pursue…either now or someday?

Over the past few months I've gotten into meditation and mindfulness, and I'd love to keep up this practice.

Do you have a favorite food or “signature dish”?

I briefly had a side hustle as a pasta instructor in grad school. Homemade pasta never fails to delight my friends and family. (Looks like homemade ravioli to this editor!)

What’s your ‘one wish come true” for Chicago Market? It might be a product for our shelves, a program you’d like to see us offer, a location – you name it!

I'd love to see cooking and food-education classes that are accessible to everyone in the community.

What three words best describe you?

My old business card said "crazy food lady." It's still accurate.