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. Early internships with Nebraska Legal Services and the Public Defender’s Office introduced him to people facing circumstances vastly different from his own.
“I grew up very conservative, and that dictated my worldview,” he said. “But looking for work opportunities through law school gave me a chance to work with Nebraska Legal Services as my first internship. That was one of the first times I was in a position to look at the world through a different lens. To see things from the perspective of someone without the privileges and opportunities I had. It started a shift for me.”
For six years in a post-9/11 economy, Knauf learned the ins, outs, and upside downs of fundraising with Steier Group. When he decided to throw his hat back into the legal arena, it was during another tumultuous job market in 2008.
“Law firms weren’t even hiring clerks, but Iowa Legal Aid was,” he recalled.
Knauf’s years of adjusting his understanding of privilege were about to intersect with the hard-earned fundraising skills he’d developed.
At Your Service
“Suddenly I was advocating as an attorney for people being evicted from their homes, helping survivors of domestic abuse get civil protective orders, working with people who just want the same things the rest of us want, but who weren’t born with those things within their reach,” he recalled. “They had larger hurdles in front of them. It really inspired me to help and to be of service.”
Knauf developed a philosophy that helping people isn’t about rescuing them, it’s about leveling the playing field, removing the barriers that are keeping generations stuck. The approach brought him back to Omaha, first through nonprofit fundraising, then as Chief Development Officer at Siena Francis House, and finally to Stephen Center, where he became CEO in August of 2024.
And now he’s extending his focus beyond serving one client. He’s building a culture.
“There isn’t a blueprint for being the CEO,” he said. “Early on you think you have to be everything to everyone. Instead, I’m learning to put the right people in the right places and just let them be incredible. The best investment we can make in our clients is to invest in those who are serving them directly.
“We started with a high turnover rate,” he said of the often emotionally grueling work. “Within a year it was down to about 3%. People felt heard and wanted to be part of where this is going. Recently, we’ve been named one of the five best places to work in Omaha.”
One of the most impactful aspects of the improved employee investment is giving his team truly actionable steps to create lasting change for the clients they serve – an idea that inspired one of Stephen Center’s most ambitious ideas to date.
Enter South O Sandwich Co.
At first glance, South O Sandwich Co. is an upscale quick bite concept serving creative, chef-inspired food. But a closer look reveals the deeper purpose behind the elevated menu.
The restaurant serves as a social enterprise – a for-profit business designed to create meaningful employment opportunities while generating revenue that can be reinvested into the organization’s mission.
For Knauf, the idea had been quietly taking shape for years.
“I really admired the work of Heart Ministry Center, which had launched a laundromat, a floral shop, and a grocery store,” he recalled. “I appreciate the way their team is willing to take some big, thoughtful swings. I had a great opportunity to talk with [Damany Rahn] about how they’ve approached these things, why they’ve gotten into the spaces they’ve chosen – I feel like this is an area where more non-profits need to take a look.”
While Knauf knew a lot about assembling a great team, raising funds, and creating a tenable environment where people have a real chance to grow, he didn’t have much experience in the restaurant industry.
“I knew about Nick Bartholomew from stories of the outreach he was doing during COVID. How he was out creating grocery packs and family meals and handing out food when restaurants were shutting down,” Knauf said. “Nick was the first person to pull out his rolodex and call his connections in the restaurant world to say, ‘Hey, if you have food that you couldn’t sell before the shutdown, let’s serve people with what we’ve got.’ That made such an impression and I hadn’t been able to get it out of my mind.”
The scheduled half hour chat became a three-hour brainstorming session that resulted in the launch of Dining with Dignity. The venture saw some of Omaha’s most prolific chefs educating the clients of Siena Francis House on the techniques and recipes that could feed their futures.
The friendship continued to flourish after the end of the program, and while Bartholomew was considering options for the 2026 season of his Greater Omaha Chamber Commons venture, Dandelion, Knauf made a suggestion.
“What if instead of shipping in a bunch of chefs for Dandelion this season, we created something new? A workforce development opportunity that combines the concept of dignified dining with real life work experience? Training Stephen Center clients to cook, serve, even manage South O Sandwich Co. from Dandelion?”
Employing his hard-earned ability to delegate, Knauf handed over the reins of running the restaurant to Bartholomew.
“I had to practice the leadership philosophy I was preaching, stepping back and letting the expert do what he does. But I walked into the employee training on day one and Nick was there early with systems in place, training materials organized and handed out, absolutely everything. I had the right person in place here.”
And while Knauf had his CEO hat on, Bartholomew kept his focus on ensuring that the food was as well thought out as the mission itself.
“Nick lives in a creative space. I was worrying about the revenue, he was pushing to elevate the menu. We really balanced each other.”
And upon the grand opening of South O Sandwich Co., the venture paid off by introducing Knauf to his new favorite sandwich.
“This thing has peaches, smoked burrata, and pesto – It’s one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. Even without the mission behind it, the food being served really stands on its own.”
But the mission is just as sweet, and is currently employing about a dozen team members, a mix of seasoned restaurant pros and members of the Stephen Center Workforce Development Program. For some, the job is more than employment training or a paycheck, it’s a first step toward stability.
And for Omaha residents who are looking for ways to support hard workers on an incredible mission, it’s as easy as heading down to the Greater Omaha Chamber Commons and enjoying a delicious sandwich.
South O Sandwich Co.
1300 Howard St.
Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.