Sara Locke

On a weekend visit to the Omaha Farmers Market, you can find local growers selling tomatoes and greens, cottage bakers with a table full of bagels and artisan makers selling unique, handmade gifts. But spend a little time talking to Maggie Winton, Marketing and Communications Director for the Omaha Farmers Market, and it becomes clear that she sees something much bigger. For Winton, the market is an ecosystem. It’s a place where farmers make a living. Entrepreneurs test new ideas.

Chris Knauf has learned through a winding career that change can be unexpected. And if a sandwich can’t be a hero, who can? “I don’t think there was some master plan,” Knauf said of ultimately landing a life of service. “Looking back, there was almost an invisible hand leading me toward understanding other people’s experiences.” Born in Omaha, Knauf grew up in Wisconsin before returning home to attend Creighton University, and later Creighton Law School.

Grand Patisserie at 14451 W. Center Road looks like most strip mall storefronts. I wandered in just over a year ago when pregnancy cravings drew me out of the neighboring Vasa Fitness. I thought I’d find a cookie to quiet the nausea-inducing hunger, but I found Rafika Oudelha Allam standing behind a glass case with a bright smile and a warm hello.