Jeremy Klaben
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Jeremy Klaben's warmth and positivity are reflected in everything he does. He established
Brightwok Kitchen,
an Asian-inspired fast casual restaurant with locations in the Loop and River North, and generously reached out to his own furloughed employees and the community during COVID-19.
He helped his employees file for unemployment, making himself available to talk through the process and answer questions, and provided them with bags of groceries and cleaning supplies. Jeremy has partnered with Off Their Plate to donate thousands of meals to hospitals in the Chicago area in addition to discounts he gave active hospital workers. Even pre-pandemic, Jeremy often offered discounted catering to Jewish organizations and other non-profits in Chicago.
When he's not focusing on Brightwok, you'll find Jeremy and his wife, Miriam, involved as active members of Anshe Emet Synagogue and in different areas of JUF, including JUF Professionals Network and, most recently, jBaby Chicago.
AGE:
29
PRIMARY GIG:
Owner of Brightwok Kitchen
ON THE SIDE:
Bringing people together
RELATIONSHIP STATUS:
Happily married
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 10 WORDS OR LESS:
Lifelong learner who is always looking to build something new.
CELEBRITY DOPPELGANGER:
I've heard Adrian Grenier or Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Let me know which one you think)
YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE:
Shorter engagement is the way to go
HOW YOU JEW IN CHICAGO:
Cooking Shabbat dinner for friends
IF TIME AND MONEY WERE LIMITLESS, I WOULD:
Move to Tokyo and Tel Aviv for a few years
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