The Enterprising Kitchen (TEK) empowers low-income women to create a brighter future by helping them build a foundation for permanent employment.  During their six-month paid transitional employment in our social enterprise, the women of TEK learn critical life and job skills and receive the personalized training and support services they need to be self-sufficient.

Program Update Report, June 30, 2010

Who are the women of TEK? Generally speaking, these women are referred directly from social service agencies, lack employment experience, have a history of drug or alcohol addictions, have been incarcerated, have limited education, or are refugees.  On average, participants live in deep poverty, typically earning income at rates less than half the federal poverty level.  Approximately 70 percent of participants have dependent children under the age of 18 and about 10 percent of the women are immigrants or refugees.  All of our women are committed to developing the skills they need to become economically self-sufficient.

TEK Values

TEK maintains an innovative program that enables women to overcome barriers and realize economic independence, while delivering exceptional bath and spa products to customers.  TEK believes that:

• giving women the opportunity to help themselves is critical and will affect social change;
• working in a well-run business teaches life skills as well as employment skills, both of which are essential to self-sufficiency; and
• realizing sustained, permanent employment requires a more holistic approach, not just job training.
  

The TEK Model

Founded in 1996, TEK operates as a non-profit social enterprise that manufactures natural soap and spa products.  Profits generated from TEK's business partially fund its social mission, with the remainder coming from philanthropy and government funding.

Workforce preparation at TEK is experiential, utilizing the issues that arise in the day-to-day operations of the business as a basis for learning.  While at TEK, women have the opportunity to work in all aspects of the enterprise: manufacturing; customer service; direct sales; assembly; production; as well as shipping and receiving.  TEK's traditional curriculum is designed to provide opportunities, within a collaborative, creative and self-reflective environment, for women to recognize and build upon their individual and collective strengths.

TEK's model is unique in that it not only provides participants with job training but with intensive life skills training that addresses many of the obstacles that have impeded them from becoming and remaining employed in the past.  TEK offers:

• Education tailored to their individual needs (e.g., high school equivalency preparation, technology training, financial planning, nutritional counseling);
• Exposure to and training in the social skills required to succeed in the workplace; and
• Individualized job placement counseling services.

This wide range of experience and opportunity enables women to achieve permanent employment, earn a living wage, and, in most cases, obtain health benefits, all of which are essential to reaching their goal of self-sufficiency beyond TEK.