And the winner is …..North Lawndale !🥂

I’m honored to share Momentum Coffee Coffee took first place , but I left knowing this was a win for North Lawndale.

I practiced a lot and may have teared up a bit at the end as I wanted to shared our story and the story of our team in a way that folks could understand our passion for the work around community investment and economic empowerment.

That was the personal victory…. Getting out in front of the community and sharing part of our journey and what we are building in North Lawndale.

At Momentum Coffee, we’ve created more than just a coffee shop – we’ve created a space where our baristas live in the neighborhood, where they were customers before joining our team. This means every dollar spent is reinvested into the community, and every cup poured is a step towards creating a stronger, more connected neighborhood.

Competitions like TechRise Chicago are crucial because they give small businesses like ours a platform to showcase how we’re working to make our communities better. We’re not just building businesses; we’re building hope, opportunity, and momentum.


Thank you to TechRise and Breedlove, P33 Chicago, Steans Family Foundation, the judges, my coach Audria Green Hawkins and my fellow entrepreneurs with amazing pitches.

Special thanks to Tracy Powell Powell and the mini-manager for listening to me practice over and over and supporting me in the audience. 💕

We will do what it takes to grow and further our mission in North Lawndale and beyond.

Join us as we experience more growth, more impact, and more momentum!