04/21/2026
When people talk about economic or community development, they usually mean corporate incentives or large skyline projects.
But sometimes it looks like a local owner-operator showing up every day for nearly 100 employees, funding community partnerships, and anchoring opportunity block by block.
Before becoming Chicago’s first Black Chick-fil-A owner-operator, Kareem Edwards built a career across Wall Street, Kraft Heinz, and Google. But instead of staying on the traditional executive track, he chose a model rooted in neighborhood presence one where leadership means hiring locally, mentoring staff, supporting families, and reinvesting into the surrounding community.
His South Loop location opened in early 2021, in the middle of a global pandemic, requiring him to guide a large team through uncertainty while building systems that kept operations stable and people supported. Outside the restaurant, he’s partnered with organizations like Just Roots Chicago to strengthen food access and community resilience nearby.
Economic development doesn’t always start with a skyline project. Sometimes it starts with one decision to stay local and build something that employs, mentors, and multiplies opportunity every single day.
This is just one of the ways to create win-wins for communities and operators.
