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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As a Pittsburgh native, Gene is a leader in the community and a devoted youth advocate — on a mission to transform lives by creating programs, workforce development, mentorship and opportunities for Pittsburgh’s justice-involved youth.
Gene has dedicated over 13 years to nonprofit work in Pittsburgh. Before joining Café Momentum Pittsburgh, Gene worked at The Pittsburgh Promise in various roles. He successfully launched multiple programs, including the We Promise program focusing on African American male mentoring, college tours, and the Ambassador Program.
Gene is currently serving as a School Board Director for District 9 of Pittsburgh Public Schools.
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Cheyenne has served in the human-service sector for over 15 years, ten of which she’s spent serving young people involved in the dependency or juvenile delinquency systems. She believes that with equitable access to resources and a network of support, every young person will learn to navigate and thrive in life.
Before joining Café Momentum Pittsburgh, Cheyenne served as a Community Impact Manager at United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. While at United Way, Cheyenne led the organization’s pandemic response by managing the Student and Families Food Relief Fund and the community vaccine-hesitancy project. Prior to that, Cheyenne worked at Allegheny County’s juvenile detention facility as the inaugural Compliance Coordinator and then as the Residential Services Manager. She was a PUMP 2021 40 under 40 honoree, and an honoree of New Pittsburgh Courier’s 30 under 30.
Cheyenne is a proud graduate of Schenley High School, an alumna of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, and earned her Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Point Park University.
Cheyenne is a proud wife and mother of two young boys.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Before joining Café Momentum Pittsburgh, Caroline spent 15 years as the Chief Officer of Philanthropic Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at Bethlehem Haven, a women’s shelter in Pittsburgh. Prior to that, she served as the Resource Development Director for Plymouth Housing in Seattle, Washington. She got her start in nonprofit fundraising and strategic planning at Westmoreland Community Action Agency where she spent eight years engaging local, state, and federal funding agencies to support a multitude of programs to address poverty in the county.
Caroline attended the University of Pittsburgh where she studied business and communications.
Caroline lives with in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh with her two sons, Victor and John. They enjoy all that the city has to offer and can often be found enjoying our local trails and parks or shopping in the Strip District.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Bio coming soon.
CHEF DE CUISINE
Peter Henry is a culinary master with 22 years of experience in the organic and sustainable food movement. He is a true trailblazer in the industry, having owned and operated a 100% certified organic restaurant, The Cremer House, in Santa Cruz for several years. Peter’s expertise in food chemistry, combined with his hospitality and tourism management training at UCLA, Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, and California Culinary Academy, have made him a renowned expert in the field.
Most recently, he served as culinary director and corporate executive chef for a local restaurant group in Pittsburgh, leading the reopening of nine restaurants. With diverse culinary experience, Peter has run restaurants ranging from beach fish houses to Japanese Izakayas and regional Italian trattorias, all while staying true to his classical French culinary roots.
His passion for food, life, and this program comes from his desire to give back that same second chance that was given to him. Having woken from a 10-week coma himself, requiring nine surgeries, Peter understands the work needed to achieve a second chance in life, not of himself but countless others who helped get him here.
Troy Prater
Case Manager
Reggie Peays, Sr.
Case Manager
Lamar Davis
Education & Training Manager
Jenna Potts
Marketing Manager
Leah Gakenia
Restaurant General Manager
Kaylan Green
Restaurant Service Manager
Pete O’Donnell
Executive Sous Chef
Dave Kessler
Sous Chef
Aedan Carlton
Pastry Chef