Renee talks with Jenny Knowlton, the Executive Director and Founder of the Quiltmaker Cafe in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Named after the beloved children’s book The Quiltmaker’s Gift, the cafe is a testament to the power of patience and community persistence.

Jenny shares the candid reality of a five-year journey to find a brick-and-mortar home. Despite many obstacles, Jenny didn't just wait; she spent years building a "tapestry" of support through pop-up meals, food truck events, and deep involvement in the local community.

The conversation explores the unique challenges of merging a nonprofit mission with a professional restaurant, the importance of mentorship from other community cafe directors, and why Jenny believes the long wait actually resulted in the perfect downtown location.

Jennie Knowlton, Founder and Executive Director of The Quiltmaker Café, began her first nonprofit journey early last year, along with her husband, David, and daughter, Elizabeth. Having experienced food insecurity herself during different periods in her life, childhood, young adulthood and once again when starting her own family, she can personally relate to the dignity that is lost as choices become fewer and fewer. Having always been environmentally conscious, Jennie is excited to combine her passion for reducing waste with her desire to address growing food insecurity in her state by providing a space where all are welcome to a meal and a community. She is grateful for the support and encouragement from the local community in helping make Pittsboro’s first Pay-What-You-Can restaurant possible.

In this episode, Renee is joined by her colleague and close friend, Elena Dalton, the Executive Director of Farm Cafe. Elena shares her journey from a vision-board-planning applicant to leading the organization through some transformative years.

The heart of this conversation explores the "expert generalist" nature of nonprofit leadership and the unique, successful succession plan that kept Renee involved in the cafe mission while Elena took the helm. They discuss the importance of having a "head on a swivel" in a community cafe, the value of food recovery programs, and why a background in restaurant work is more critical to nonprofit success than most people realize.

Elena also reflects on how the cafe serves as a mirror for self-discovery, revealing the deep human need for community and fellowship. Whether you are starting a nonprofit or planning your exit, this episode offers a masterclass in leadership, vulnerability, and building an organization that can thrive for generations.

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Elena Dalton became interested in food systems work while studying Sustainable Development at Appalachian State University. During that time, she embraced a love of cooking and gardening that later translated into work with farms, edible schoolyards, and educational community gardens in the High Country. She later continued her education at UNC Greensboro’s Graduate School where she earned a degree in Nonprofit Management.

Elena joined F.A.R.M. Cafe as a program coordinator in January 2018 and has been the Executive Director for three years. She takes pride in her growth within the organization and her deepening understanding of the ways shared food and fellowship strengthen community. Outside of work, she is happiest spending time with her family and loved ones. She and her daughter enjoy making treats for the whole family, including their very good dog, Louie, and exploring the mountains they call home.

Host Renee Boughman sits down with Rev. Laura Evans Mahn, founder and executive director of NEST Cafe (Nourish Everyone Sustainably Together), a pay-what-you-can cafe in Rock Island, Illinois, serving the Quad Cities.

Laura and Renee dig into what it takes to establish a mission-driven cafe, why so many of these spaces are led by women, and what critics get wrong about “feel-good” solutions to hunger.

Rev. Laura Evans Mahn is the founder and Executive Director of NEST Café (Nourish Everyone Sustainably Together). Raised in North Carolina, she attended the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and later received her Master’s in Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

Laura has served as a church pastor in various locations, worked in various nonprofits, and traveled quite a bit. In all of these positions and locations, Laura has learned that what she loves most is hearing people’s stories. Those stories, both the ones she has listened to and the ones she has observed, those shared around a table and those shared because of the lack of a table, have led to NEST Café. Having a place where people gather over real food and experience a sense of “home” no matter how much they can pay, has been a dream of hers for a very long time. NEST Café is a dream come true!

Laura has called Rock Island, IL home for the past 18 years. She and her husband, Jason, are parents to 2 boys, 1 dog, and a handful of chickens.