24 Karat Bakery Co-op isn’t just a bakery, it’s a movement to rebuild the way we work, eat, and connect.
Every loaf we bake, every cookie we sell, and every project we take on is powered by people like you, not corporate investors.
Whether you’re a baker, a neighbor, or a dreamer with a recipe, there’s a place for you here.
Together, we’re proving that food can create ownership, opportunity, and real community wealth.
Our worker-owners aren’t employees, they’re co-founders in every sense.
As a worker-owner, you’ll:
Earn a fair share of profits based on your role and contribution
Gain democratic voting power in bakery decisions
Learn new skills in baking, business, and cooperative management
Access member benefits like profit-sharing, education programs, and group healthcare options
Have the option to open your own co-op bakery under the 24 Karat Federation as we expand
We don’t just hire, we train, teach, and empower.
Apply to join the founding team in Lincoln Park and grow with us as we build new locations across Chicago and beyond.
We believe in community-powered entrepreneurship.
If you’re a local maker, a jam crafter, coffee roaster, chocolatier, or farmer, you can feature your products in our bakery.
Our goal is to make 24 Karat Bakery a launchpad for small creators, helping them reach new customers without high barriers or corporate contracts.
We handle sales, promotion, and logistics, you focus on your craft.
It’s how we keep our shelves full of local flavor and authentic stories.
Every co-op member can propose or lead community projects. These can include:
Community gardens and food education programs
Pop-up markets or cooking classes led by members
Neighborhood cleanups and food drives
Skill-sharing workshops (finance, culinary, art, etc.)
Members vote to approve and help fund these projects through a portion of bakery profits.
This way, our success directly feeds back into the neighborhood, not into corporate pockets.
Even if you’re not ready to become a worker-owner, you can still be part of our ecosystem.
We host regular workshops and open kitchen days focused on:
Baking and food skills
Cooperative business training
Financial literacy for creatives
Sustainable food systems
These events are open to the public and led by members or local partners.
If you believe in what we’re building but can’t get directly involved yet, you can still help us grow:
Visit often and tell your friends about us
Invest in a Community Membership Share
Donate to support our member education and community project fund
Every bit helps us create more ownership, more opportunity, and more good food.
We’re starting in Lincoln Park, but our vision is much bigger, to build a network of locally owned, self-sustaining bakeries where workers thrive and communities decide what success looks like.
When you get involved, you’re not just supporting a bakery, you’re helping rewrite the story of work and food in America.
Good food. Shared ownership. Lasting change.
That’s the 24 Karat promise.
Join the Founding 100 and help shape the future of 24 Karat Bakery. For a limited time, ownership is available at $200 per share – exclusively for our first 100 members. Once these spots are gone, shares will never be this price again. Don’t miss your chance to be part of something lasting.
