North Lawndale Employment Network

Name

North Lawndale Employment Network

Legal name

North Lawndale Employment Network

Website

https://nlen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Job training programs
• Transitional employment
• Social enterprise beekeeping
• Community economic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, NLEN relies on individual and corporate donations. EIN: 36-4295189. Donations are tax-deductible within U.S. law guidelines.
2. Social Enterprise Revenue (Sweet Beginnings and beelove cafe): Revenue from beelove hive-to-jar products including raw honey, lip balm, and body lotion sold through beelovebuzz.com and the beelove cafe at 1111 S. Homan Ave.
3. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from government sources including the Chicago Department of Planning and Development ($250,000 Community Development Grant), CEDA for utility assistance programs, and ComEd/Exelon partnerships for LIHEAP services.
4. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Revenue from corporate sponsors, event sponsors, and corporate experiences/team building activities hosted at NLEN campus.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NLEN provides community-based workforce development programs (job training, placement, and career coaching) targeted at returning citizens and young adults in North Lawndale, supplemented by social enterprises (Sweet Beginnings urban beekeeping and beelove café) that offer transitional employment, and a Financial Opportunity Center delivering financial coaching, utility bill assistance, and benefits enrollment. All programs are integrated under a single mission of improving earnings potential for North Lawndale residents through employment initiatives.

Product overview

North Lawndale Employment Network operates as a comprehensive workforce development organization with a platform-plus-social-enterprises architecture. The core workforce development programs (U-Turn Permitted, Craft Your Path, Moving Forward, Empowered Now) are complemented by social enterprises Sweet Beginnings and beelove® café that provide transitional employment. The Financial Opportunity Center delivers financial support services including utility assistance through CEDA/LIHEAP partnerships. All programs are unified by the mission to improve earnings potential for North Lawndale residents through employment initiatives, with the social enterprises serving as both employment venues and revenue-generating programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• beelove®: Hive-to-jar products including raw honey, lip balm, and body lotion produced by Sweet Beginnings. Also includes the beelove® café serving coffee and specialty drinks made with local Chicagoland honey.
• Sweet Beginnings
• Sweet Beginnings Tea

Products and services

• Sweet Beginnings A social impact business and transitional jobs program that provides employment opportunities for individuals returning from incarceration, operating urban beehives across Chicagoland to produce honey and related products.
• beelove® café A community café on NLEN's campus serving coffee, specialty drinks made with local honey, pastries, and lunch items, while providing job training and employment for North Lawndale residents.
• beelove® Hive-to-Jar Products Hive-to-jar products including raw honey, lip balm, and body lotion produced by Sweet Beginnings, supporting transitional employment for people returning from incarceration.
• U-Turn Permitted Job training program specifically designed for returning citizens and people facing barriers to employment, helping participants transition back into the workforce.
• Craft Your Path Job readiness training program for young adults ages 18-24, providing skills and support for early career development.
• Moving Forward Job training program for the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) industry, preparing participants for careers in this sector.
• Empowered Now Job training program specifically for Sweet Beginnings social impact businesses, providing employment pathways within the organization's enterprises.
• Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) Financial resources, training, and services including utility bill assistance (via CEDA/LIHEAP), benefits enrollment, financial coaching, and connection to community resources through the Benefits Access Network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,200+ returning citizens hired through fair-chance employment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Obama FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NLEN partnered with the Obama Foundation as one of four organizations helping recruit local candidates for 150 full-time jobs at the Obama Presidential Center. NLEN supports jobseekers with preparation, coaching, and connections needed to step into these careers.
• ComEd and Exelon CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025ComEd and Exelon Company partnered with NLEN to host the LIHEAP service term start press conference on October 1st, supporting utility assistance programs for North Lawndale residents.
• CEDA (Community Economic Development Association of Cook County)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEDA provides utility bill assistance applications through NLEN's Financial Opportunity Center, serving Cook County households with LIHEAP benefits and furnace assistance programs.
• Nourishing HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile Pantry partnership providing food support services to NLEN clients and Financial Opportunity Center participants.
• Lawndale Christian Legal CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide workforce training programs to residents at the Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center.
• Trinity United Church of ChristminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRev. Dr. Otis Moss III referenced NLEN and Sweet Beginnings in a sermon connecting honeybee behavior to fair-chance employment philosophy.
• North Lawndale Community Coordinating CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for community revitalization efforts, including the Quality of Life plan and Pollinator Pavilion initiative.
• UIC Healthy Cities CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNLEN featured as September Community Partner Spotlight in the UIC Healthy Cities Collaborative.
• Communities Partnering for Peace (CP4P)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for March to the Polls event to drive civic engagement in North Lawndale.
• Injustice WatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistribution of the Check Your Judges voter guide on NLEN campus and in beelove cafe.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Safer Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit exclusively focused on workforce reentry for people with criminal records, providing training, employment placement, and retention support. Closest direct peer to NLEN's U-Turn Permitted program and returning citizens focus.
• The Cara Program: Chicago-based nonprofit providing workforce development, transitional employment, and training for individuals facing barriers to employment, including returning citizens. Operates social enterprises and is a near-direct mission competitor in the same Chicago market.
• Inspiration Corporation: Chicago-based nonprofit offering workforce development, social enterprise (Inspiration Kitchens), and supportive services for individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness. Mirrors NLEN's social-enterprise + workforce model in the same metro.
• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS Chicago): Chicago nonprofit operating multiple workforce development programs, career coaching, and employer connections with similar job-readiness and placement functions. Direct mission overlap with NLEN's Craft Your Path and Moving Forward programs.
• Greyston Bakery: Social enterprise bakery using an 'Open Hiring' model to employ individuals facing barriers, including those with criminal records. Closest comparable to Sweet Beginnings' transitional employment and beelove brand model.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing training, internships, and corporate placements for young adults from low-income communities. Larger scale and broader geography but operates the same earn-and-learn model for a similar demographic.
• Heartland Alliance: Large Chicago-based human services nonprofit with significant workforce development, reentry, and anti-poverty programming. Broader portfolio than NLEN but highly comparable in mission and target population.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training and career development for adults from low-income communities. Comparable mission around workforce training, employer pipeline, and barrier-impacted populations.

Regional players

• The Doe Fund: NYC-based nonprofit providing workforce development, transitional employment, and supportive housing primarily for returning citizens. Comparable returning-citizen workforce model but operates in a different geography.

Emerging players

• Back of the Yards Coffee: Chicago-based nonprofit coffee social enterprise on the South Side providing transitional employment and job training. Comparable small-scale social enterprise model to beelove café in the same Chicago market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NLEN_Jobs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/NlenOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/nlen.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nlen
• Instagraminstagram.com/nlen_jobs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Lawndale Employment Network