5 formerly jailed women build $2.5 million food business, buy homes together

Five formerly incarcerated women in Chicago who struggled to find jobs and secure housing because of their criminal records have built a successful food business generating $2.5 million in annual revenue and begun acquiring properties together. Their journey, which started with a small commercial food venture, has grown into a network of worker-owned businesses and housing cooperatives offering opportunities to people excluded from traditional employment and housing markets. Through ChiFresh Kitchen and its expanding cooperative network, the founders are demonstrating how collective ownership can help people rebuild their lives while creating lasting economic opportunities.

The story began in 2018, when Chicago-based Upside Down Consulting and community organisers started developing a worker-owned food business involving formerly incarcerated women. According to VOLTS, the organisation's roots lie in this effort to create an enterprise that would give its workers ownership, control and economic security. By December 2019, 5 people had committed to becoming the founding worker-owners of ChiFresh Kitchen. Kimberly Britt, Edrinna Bryant and Renee Taylor were among the women who joined the founding group. They began meeting regularly to develop the business and establish how they would operate collectively. The University of Illinois explained that the business was led by five formerly incarcerated people and focused on providing freshly prepared meals to organisations including schools and nursing homes. Its workers were also its owners, giving them the ability to make decisions about the enterprise. ChiFresh Kitchen officially launched in May 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. As the crisis created an urgent need for emergency meals, the business secured contracts through community networks to supply food to pantries, churches, senior centres and transitional housing organisations, according to Next City.

The founders initially had little experience running a cooperative. They learnt how to establish policies, set wages, manage finances, recruit workers and make decisions collectively while developing the business. Next City reported that this arrangement also allowed responsibilities to be shared rather than placing the entire burden of managing a company on one individual. Workers could divide tasks such as hiring, finances, human resources and finding new business. For Kimberly Britt, cooperative ownership offered something particularly important after incarceration: a voice in the workplace. Rather than having to accept rules imposed by an employer, worker-owners could participate in deciding how their business operated. UIC's report highlighted how legal support helped ChiFresh establish a strong foundation. The university's Community Enterprise and Solidarity Economic Clinic assisted with registration, contracts, investment options and business certifications. This support helped the founders establish ChiFresh as a Limited Worker Cooperative Association under Illinois law. The business initially operated from rented commercial kitchen space but soon outgrew it.

In December 2020, ChiFresh acquired a vacant former grocery store on Chicago's South Side. The purchase was financed through a $350,000 loan from Shared Capital Cooperative, while renovations required additional funding from grants and loans. The renovation took nearly 2 years, and the company moved into its new headquarters in October 2022. According to Next City, its daily production capacity increased from 500 meals to 5,000 meals following the move. By 2025, ChiFresh Kitchen had reached $2.5 million in annual revenue. VOLTS also describes the business as generating approximately $2 million annually, providing freshly prepared, culturally relevant meals to institutions including the YMCA and Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Business success did not immediately solve another major difficulty faced by the founders which is finding somewhere to live. After leaving transitional housing, Britt repeatedly applied for rental accommodation but struggled to secure a home because of her criminal record. Next City reported that other ChiFresh worker-owners encountered similar difficulties, even after Cook County introduced legislation restricting landlords from automatically rejecting applicants with criminal backgrounds. The founders decided to address the problem themselves by establishing JumpStart Housing Cooperative. In 2023, JumpStart acquired its first property, a three-unit building in Bronzeville. Financial support included a $360,000 acquisition loan, a $200,000 zero-interest renovation loan and a $150,000 city grant, according to Next City. The cooperative subsequently expanded. It acquired a six-unit property in South Chicago in 2024 and an eight-unit building in Woodlawn in September 2026. VOLTS explains that residents collectively own their housing through the cooperative, sharing responsibility and decision-making. The model also helps members avoid the insecurity of relying entirely on traditional landlords.

As demand for jobs and housing increased, the founders recognised that ChiFresh alone could not employ everyone seeking opportunities. They established VOLTS, short for Village of Leaders Thriving in Solidarity, to help create and support additional cooperatives. Registered as a nonprofit in November 2024, VOLTS provides business support, training, funding assistance and services that help cooperative members manage their enterprises. Its work also includes personal support, such as mental health and other services. The network has expanded to include CrossTreats, a healthy snack manufacturing cooperative, and The Handlers, a property management business. CrossTreats is developing a manufacturing facility, while The Handlers provides maintenance and management services for properties within the cooperative network. According to VOLTS, its worker cooperatives collectively employ more than 20 people, with more than 75% of workers also owning their businesses.

The network's growth has received substantial public and private backing. Next City reported that the cooperative ecosystem raised $3.8 million in grants and borrowed another $2.8 million for property acquisitions and renovations. Chicago has contributed significantly towards the grants. CrossTreats' manufacturing facility, whose groundbreaking took place in October 2026, represents another step towards expanding employment and local production. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson attended the event, highlighting the city's support for community-owned businesses.