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Women's Bean Project

Empowering Women Through Work & Opportunity.

Women's Bean Project is a Denver-based social enterprise that provides job training and employment opportunities to women facing significant barriers while selling food products including soups, chilis, baking mixes, spice blends, coffee, tea, and gift items. They operate as a nonprofit that combines commerce with social impact, helping women break the cycle of poverty through meaningful work and skills development.

The organization was founded with a mission to transform lives and break the cycle of poverty by addressing the critical need for employment among women who face chronic unemployment. Their approach recognizes that employment is key to breaking out of poverty and staying out of prison, particularly for women with criminal convictions who face additional barriers to finding work.

Women's Bean Project creates lasting impact by demonstrating that social enterprises can successfully advance their mission while operating a viable business. The organization matters because it addresses the root causes of poverty and recidivism by providing practical solutions through employment, with impressive long-term success rates that show women can achieve sustainable independence when given proper support and opportunities.

Impact model

Women's Bean Project operates as a social enterprise that creates impact by providing direct employment and job training to women facing significant barriers, including those with criminal backgrounds or chronic unemployment. Their business model generates revenue through the sale of food products, which funds their mission while giving participants real work experience in food production, packaging, and business operations.

The organization achieves measurable outcomes by ensuring all program graduates transition to jobs in the community, with an impressive 93% of formerly chronically unemployed women still employed a year after completing the program. This approach addresses both immediate employment needs and long-term career stability, helping women build sustainable pathways out of poverty.

Impact metrics

93% of formerly chronically unemployed women are still employed a year after completing the program. All program graduates move on to jobs in the community. The organization references that the combined cost of a criminal conviction and a year of incarceration can exceed $70,000, highlighting the economic impact of their preventive approach.