Tigist Reda
Chef and Restaurateur, Demera Ethiopian Restaurant

She was born in Tigray, Ethiopia during the years of communism, making her family moving from one city to the capital due to the civil war during this period. She learned the secrets of the traditional since very young age. She is the number seventh of eleven children in the family and her family was constituted with twenty members in the house hold. Having a family this big, the cooking process was a routine that included preparing meals from the scratch. Since the very young years Tigist was a good helper at kitchen, assisting her elders in the preparation of the meals, who transfer their knowledge of spices and ingredients of Ethiopian food.

She came to The United States in 1997. As an immigrant she worked different jobs while going to school, and she want to make a career of doing what she loved. She had a passion for cooking and entertaining, and wanted to combine these and create a career and a better living. In 2007 with the help of her then husband, Tigist decided that she could combine her passion for cooking and entertaining to open her own restaurant. Demera Restaurant opened its door by her desire of providing authentic cuisine, culture, and hospitality in the area of Uptown and later in Chicago French Market as quick access for Ethiopian Food.

Due to current war in Tigray, Tigist has focused her attention to help the women who are survivor of gender based violence. Tigist has worked closely with HPN4TIGRAY to fundraise to help open mental health center in refugee camp in Sudan and other needs of the survivors of GBV.

Tigist is currently working on supporting GBV survivors with medical need, mental health needs, and creating small business to support their lives.