Falcons Name Chad Houser as 2025 Inspire Change Changemaker

The Atlanta Falcons have selected Chad Houser—founder, CEO, and executive chef of Café Momentum—as their 2025 Inspire Change Changemaker, an annual honor recognizing individuals across the NFL who are creating meaningful, measurable change in their communities. The award highlights leaders who are transforming lives through the four pillars of the Inspire Change initiative: education, economic advancement, police-community relations, and criminal justice reform.

Houser is widely regarded as a visionary social entrepreneur whose passion for service, humility, and relentless commitment have fueled his impact nationwide. After 17 successful years as a chef and co-owner of Parigi Restaurant in Dallas, Houser’s career took a life-altering turn in 2012 when he taught an ice cream–making class to young men in juvenile detention. Moved by the experience, he shifted his focus and launched Café Momentum full-time—a nonprofit restaurant and workforce development program that empowers justice-involved youth.

For the past 11 years, Houser has served as Café Momentum’s founder, CEO, and executive chef, guiding the organization’s growth from a single Dallas restaurant into a national movement. Café Momentum provides justice-involved youth ages 15–19 with paid restaurant internships, job training, academic support, and a wraparound network of resources designed to help them build stable futures. Through hands-on culinary instruction, mentorship, and community partnerships, Houser’s leadership gives young people the tools to contribute positively to their communities and break cycles linked to the criminal justice system.

His work extends far beyond the kitchen. Houser has inspired civic, corporate, and philanthropic leaders to rethink how they view—and invest in—justice-involved youth. His influence spans multiple states and cities, and he remains a deeply respected figure in both the nonprofit community and the neighborhoods where Café Momentum operates. Perhaps most notably, Houser has cultivated personal connections with countless young people whose lives have been transformed through his programs.

As part of the Inspire Change recognition, Houser will receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation, which will be directed to a nonprofit organization of his choosing.

For more information on the full list of 2025 Changemaker recipients, visit NFL.com/Changemakers.