Ep #47 Reimagining East Cleveland with chef, activist & visionary Ismail Samad.

Ismail Samad has returned home with a vision to reimagine the possibilities of his hometown, East Cleveland. He's cooked for the economic elite of Martha's Vineyard, featured in Bon Appetit (May, 2022), and launched several successful enterprises that reflect is passion for activism, equity and sustainability. Through his nonprofit organization, Loiter, he's creating new opportunities for economic self-sufficiency for East Cleveland residents through food enterprises and more. A closed-loop food systems expert, Ismail gained notoriety through development of The Gleanery, his restaurant in Putney, Vermont, that aimed to eliminate waste and improve economic opportunities for local farmers. He helped launch  Daily Table, a nonprofit community grocery store model in the Boston area. And, Ismail worked for many well-known restaurants in Cleveland and beyond. In our conversation we talk about the opportunity he sees in East Cleveland, the full scope of Loiter and all of its projects, and his plans to open a restaurant.  This podcast is supported by Chef Douglas Katz and Ohio Wines.