Our Team
Diane Schmidt
Diane Schmidt is the co-founder of the Women’s Chef Exchange. She began her career in public health before earning an MBA in Marketing and going on to hold marketing leadership roles at several firms. In 2011, Diane partnered with Chef Sarah Stegner to co-found Healthy Fare for Kids, an initiative she led for over a decade to promote healthier kids’ meals on restaurant menus throughout Chicago—including in international airports, museums, and other public venues.
Chef Sarah Stegner
Sarah Stegner is the co-owner & chef of Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook Illinois. She is the former restaurant chef of The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton Chicago, owned and operated by Four Seasons. She is a two-time James Beard Award Winner and was recently named Restaurateur of the Year by the Illinois Restaurant Association. Stegner is a founding member- past president of Green City Market (501c3) and continues to drive education surrounding the organic sustainable food movement into the mainstream..