I believe strongly in the power of food as a reflection of community, policy, and culture. With that understanding, I actively seek this intersection across Chicago’s neighborhoods and throughout my global travels. I am in the midst of a personal project to visit a new-to-me local food business in all 77 of Chicago’s official neighborhoods while taking note of non-profit initiatives and neighborhood thought leaders in each space. The project was initially fueled by a desire to challenge my own false sense of familiarity with the city. Soon after starting, however, Project 77 catapulted into a web of connections and questions that have sparked an insatiable curiosity.