Podcast Summary

Going Big! with Kevin Gentry

Episode: Going Big with Christian Fischer and Chad Houser: Building Momentum for Second Chances

Date: November 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Going Big! brings together Chad Houser—James Beard Humanitarian of the Year, chef, and founder of Café Momentum—and Christian Fischer, recently retired CEO of Georgia-Pacific, to discuss how their partnership is expanding the Café Momentum model to Atlanta. Café Momentum is a pioneering restaurant and nonprofit organization that provides paid internships and wraparound support to justice-involved youth, giving them consistency, stability, mentorship, and a second chance. The conversation delves into the origins of Café Momentum, its impact on youth and communities, and the challenges and lessons involved in taking bold, meaningful action for social change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Food, Family, and Togetherness

• Chad’s passion: Rooted in family Sunday suppers, he describes food as nourishment not just for the body but for the soul and the spirit of togetherness.
  • “It was about food nurturing the soul more than it was about food nurturing the belly.” (Chad, 04:04)
• Food offers a setting for meaningful relationships and connections—an idea foundational to Café Momentum (05:12).

2. The Birth of Café Momentum

• Moment of transformation: Volunteering at a juvenile detention center, Chad realized the power of seeing and treating youth as capable and worthy individuals.
  • “I went from being excited to sad, from being inspired to frustrated … I never did anything to deserve all the opportunities I had been given in life to succeed … and then this kid was given one chance … and it wasn’t even going to land him a job at Wendy’s or Chili’s.” (Chad, 06:05)
• Recognized deep structural disadvantages—many justice-involved youth commit crimes for basic needs like food or housing (09:38, 04:04).

3. Overcoming Stereotypes and Building Trust

• Faced skepticism from the community (“What if the kids stab each other in the kitchen?”) and institutional resistance (09:38).
  • “When you treat them as incredible human beings, then they respond as incredible human beings.” (Chad, 09:38)
• Building Café Momentum was about offering youth stability, mentorship, and expectations of greatness, challenging narratives of “throwaway kids.”
• Data: 60–80% of adult prisoners in the U.S. started with a juvenile record—systemic issues start early (09:38).

4. Real Stories: The Ripple Effect of Second Chances

• Example of transformation: A program graduate became the first in his family to graduate high school, worked through college, interned at NASA, and is now an engineer and dad (13:21).
  • “That’s what makes me most proud … it’s about his children and them growing up with greater opportunity.” (Chad, 13:21)

5. Christian Fischer’s Immigrant Perspective & Philosophy

• Christian’s story of not “fitting in”—from Bavaria to Brazil to the U.S.—helped him value outsiders’ perspectives and diverse thinking (15:48).
  • “You gotta embrace being different. Through that, we all add more value together than if we all think the same way.” (Christian, 15:48)
• Advocates intentionally building teams that think differently and use adversity as a tool for growth.

6. Partnership: Expanding Café Momentum to Atlanta

• Bringing the model to Atlanta required commitment, relationship-building, and local support, not just “dropping in” (22:01).
  • Sought buy-in first from family, then local restaurateurs and philanthropists, before engaging business and city leaders.
• First stakeholder dinner involved the mayor, business, and nonprofit community—the start of true momentum (22:01).

7. The Nonprofit-Startup Mindset

• Café Momentum isn’t a “franchise”—each location must learn, adapt, and build trust in its community (27:05–28:54).
  • “It’s on us to earn the trust of the community, not the other way around.” (Chad, 27:05)
• Importance of “institutional knowledge” transfer and training for new teams.
• Recent expansions: Dallas, Pittsburgh (Youth Impact Organization of the Year), Atlanta, and soon Denver (37:57).

8. The Challenges of Scaling

• Fundraising (“It takes a lot of boots on the ground work,” Christian, 38:10), community partner engagement, team training, and building sustainable local support.
• The support of juvenile justice officials is foundational; all have welcomed Café Momentum’s presence (41:55).

9. Mentorship as the Core

• Mentorship is transformational for both youth and organizational leaders.
  • “Their mentor gave them his confidence until he had his own… It’s not ‘you got this,’ it’s ‘we’ve got this until you’ve got this.’” (Chad, 44:18)
• Mentorship culture extends to the board and team—asking for advice is strength, not weakness (46:19–48:23).

10. Opportunities for Engagement

• Dining at Café Momentum or using their catering.
• Volunteering (“Literally just call the juvenile department and say, hey, I’ve got a spare hour every week, is there something you guys need?”—offer mentoring, tutoring, reading, cooking, etc.) (49:45)
• Supporting and spreading awareness can scale the impact nationally, even before the restaurant model reaches new cities (52:11).

11. Final Advice: Going Big in Life

• Christian: No contradiction between thinking big and acting small—you need the vision and the first concrete steps.
  • “Translate these things into the next step taken, the next hill climbed, the next kid who learns to make ice cream.” (Christian, 54:10)
• Chad: Dream big, embrace the journey; there are no shortcuts.
  • “Don’t blink and keep your ear to the ground and take copious amounts of notes because it’s going to be one hell of a ride.” (Chad, 55:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When you treat them as incredible human beings, then they respond as incredible human beings.” – Chad Houser, (09:38)
• “Sometimes the choices you make aren’t choices—they’re the ones you’re given.” – Chad Houser, (13:21)
• “If there’s one thread that goes through my life … it’s not being from here, being somewhat different and not fitting into an easy description.” – Christian Fischer, (15:48)
• “This is not a franchise model … there’s a lot of art there, not just science. It takes hard work, perseverance, optimism, and … you need a couple of people that stick their neck out and make a commitment.” – Christian Fischer, (38:10)
• “Mentorship is giving someone your confidence until they have their own.” – (Chad, paraphrased, 44:18)
• “What it really came down to is somebody asked me to teach eight kids to make ice cream and I said yes.” – Chad Houser, (49:45)
• “Have the courage, imagination, and passion to dream big … but you also have to take the next step, the next hill climbed, the next opportunity seized.” – Christian Fischer, (54:10)
• “Embrace the journey … it’s the entirety of everything that’s happened, the ways in which, the things I’ve learned, the ways I’ve grown, that make the greatest impact for me.” – Chad Houser, (55:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:04 – Chad Houser on family, food, and nurturing the soul
• 06:05 – The ice cream competition that inspired Café Momentum
• 09:38 – Overcoming community skepticism and stereotypes
• 13:21 – Story of transformation: From justice-involved youth to NASA intern to engineer
• 15:48 – Christian Fischer’s immigrant journey, outsider perspective
• 22:01 – Building Café Momentum Atlanta: Strategy and stakeholder engagement
• 27:05 – Scaling the model: Adapting for different communities, building trust
• 37:57 – Expansion updates: Dallas, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Denver
• 38:10 – The nuts-and-bolts of launching: fundraising and community building
• 41:55 – Engagement with juvenile justice system
• 44:18 – Mentorship: “Giving someone your confidence until they have their own”
• 49:45 – How to get involved, from volunteering to dining
• 54:10 – Advice: Dream big and act small
• 55:36 – Advice: Embrace the journey, no shortcuts

Flow & Tone

The episode blends warmth, humility, and resolve. Both guests speak candidly about personal transformation and the power of second chances, using stories and analogies that make the lessons feel tangible and inspiring. The atmosphere is encouraging and practical, with clear calls to action—not just for nonprofit leaders, but any listener drawn to contribute to meaningful change.

How to Get Involved

• Dine or cater with Café Momentum (Dallas, Pittsburgh, Atlanta)
• Volunteer: Contact local juvenile justice departments or youth-serving nonprofits
• Support financially: Donations or networking
• Mentor: Offer skills, confidence, and presence to justice-involved youth
• Amplify: Share the stories, model, and mission with your personal and professional network

For more resources and past episodes, visit: TenXStrategies.com or goingbigpodcast.com

“Don’t blink, keep your ear to the ground, and take copious amounts of notes—it’s going to be one hell of a ride.”
— Chad Houser, (55:36)