Born and raised in Philadelphia, Kurt found his culinary spark cooking southern style dishes, alongside his grandmothers as a child. Since then, he's gone on to hone his skills in some of Philadelphia’s most esteemed kitchens. In 2017, Kurt decided to use his culinary skills to rally his community around ending mass incarceration.

Chef and activist Kurt Evans’s work centers around criminal justice reform in America. Through his ground-breaking End Mass Incarceration (EMI) dining series, Evans orchestrates dinners themed around the criminal justice system. By combining his revolutionary restaurant business model with his community-focused activism, Evans is driving change across the culinary landscape and far beyond.

In 2021, Evans was named a “Rising Talent” finalists from The Art Of Plating, a “Champion of Change” World’s 50 Best Restaurants by San Pellegrino. In 2022, Kurt was named Whitney M Young Powerbroker, and Community Leader by PACDC (Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations). He has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Good Morning America, and Eater.