Stories

In Haverhill, MA, a group of immigrant entrepreneurs is building more than a grocery store that’s giving the community access to stability, opportunity, and healthy foods. Caribbean Markets, a large-format neighborhood grocery, is owned equally by family members, Randy Mejia,…Read More

LEAF supports Project Equity in funding Softstar Shoe to become an Employee-Owned Business C.Elf.O Tricia February 10 2026  From humble beginnings in 1985, through 40 years of crafting colorful and comfortable minimal leather shoes, this year marks a special achievement…Read More

Virginia Brown carried an idea for years: a place where people of all ages would gather, relaxed with food made from scratch, thoughtful drinks throughout the day. When she found the space that would be Midnight Morning, she then needed…Read More

Fresh Food Generation (FFG), a Dorchester-based Caribbean restaurant and catering company founded by Cassandria Campbell and Jackson Renshaw, has been a LEAF partner since 2020. Over that time, FFG grew from a shared commissary kitchen to a multi-channel operation serving…Read More

In Bloomington, Indiana, like in many cities today, housing costs exceed what many residents can pay. Local residents and university students compete for the same limited housing stock, driving rents higher and leaving few stable options for people who want…Read More

Founded in 1970 by university students, People’s Food Cooperative in Portland, Oregon began with a simple purpose: to provide healthy foods that were not widely available in supermarkets. The co-op purchased a 100-year-old Italian grocery store and built something lasting—an…Read More

In local farming, growing begins with a vision and then in and with the soil. The Seattle Growers Market (SGM) is an example of small-scale farmers cultivating their selling power through their Cooperative in a healthy way, just like they…Read More

On a quiet Dorchester street, an elderly man lived alone for decades in an 1880s single-family home. As his health declined, the house declined with him. The old house became too large for an elderly person to manage on his…Read More

Meeting a Legend When Eric Simpson met Ralph Paige one day, he did not realize he was meeting a legend. Although they knew each other from living in the same neighborhood in LaGrange, Georgia, Simpson did not know that Paige,…Read More

When Yanique Shaw, founder of Boston Flower Co., arranged flowers for her uncle’s 70th birthday, she discovered a passion that would soon reshape her career. The oldest of her siblings, Ms. Shaw had always taken charge—but this time, creativity took…Read More

In 2007, longtime taxi driver Mark Gruberg and his colleagues decided to change how their industry worked. Tired of corrupt, top-down companies, they built San Francisco Green Cab—a driver-owned, environmentally responsible cooperative. Every driver became a part-owner, and they launched…Read More

Bringing your whole self to work can be challenging, especially during difficult times. Emma Yorra aimed to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, particularly those who are often overlooked: the neurodiverse, people with disabilities, and those living with mental…Read More