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Serious and Violent Offenders Re-entry Initiative, Going Home granteeJohn D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions Neighborhood Housing Services Neighborhood Hero Award LISC’s Chicago Neighborhood Development Special Recognition Award Congressman Danny Davis awards Founding President, Brenda Palms Barber the Cardiss Collins Trailblazer Award Metlife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Healing America granteeComEd Power of One Neighborhood Hero Award Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award NBCUniversal Foundation 21st Century Solutions Grant Challenge Citi Foundation Progress Maker Award 1 of 6 Pritzker Traubert Foundation Chicago Prize FinalistsChicago Urban League’s nextONE entrepreneurship program fellow Chicago Magazine Green AwardNBC Jefferson Award for community service recipient Featured in Inc. Magazine Jewel-Osco Leadership Award in Environmental Stewardship recipient O’Hare receives an Environmental Achievement Award from Airports Council International - North America for its Sweet Beginnings apiary project Inaugural ULI Chicago Vision Award Governor’s Sustainability Award presented by the Illinois Sustainable Technology CenterSocial Enterprise Alliance Community Award for Leadership Illinois State Fair Blue Ribbon “First Premium” award for honeycombs produced at O’Hare International AirportMariano’s Magazine features Sweet Beginnings beelove® honey as one of its key social impact brandsWomen’s Day Magazine features Sweet Beginnings in their November issue. Google Impact Challenge Award Founding President, Brenda Palms Barber named 1 of 5 inaugural Elevate Prize Fellows 2003200820142015201120162017201920202012200920062010201220142015201620182020NLEN AWARDSOur History - Our ImpactSWEET BEGINNINGS AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTSMission: The North Lawndale Employment Network’s mission is to improve the earnings potential of North Lawndale community through innovative employment initiatives that lead to economic advancement and an improved quality of life.

The Steans Family Foundation facilitates conversation with concerned local leaders over 18 months; they identify the need to establish a workforce development organization to address high rates of unemployment in North Lawndale.NLEN commissions "Drugs, Crimes, and Consequences," a groundbreaking study by the Center for Impact Research and funded by the Wood Fund of Chicago.Sweet Beginnings, LLC is seeded with grants from the Illinois Department of Corrections and the City of Chicago to create transitional jobs for returning citizens. NLEN receives the inaugural MacArthur Award for Creative & Effective Institutions. beelove® products are launched at O'Hare and Midway airports through HMSHost, Hudson News, and Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless. NLEN launches its first skills training program, Moving Forward, in partnership with the CTA.Sweet Beginnings partners with the Chicago Department of Aviation. O'Hare Airport becomes the home of the first U.S. airport apiary (Chicago ORD apiary). NLEN expands, relocating its Executive Offices to the Nichols Tower. NLEN becomes a founding member of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) NLEN receives the prestigious Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award.Sweet Beginnings is featured in Mariano'sMagazine as one of its key social impact brands. Sweet Beginnings launches its fifth apiary, located in North Lawndale at Homan Square and sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company.NLEN's brand new, state-of-the-art workforce development campus and cafe at 1111 S. Homan Ave. opens to the community.Wintrust Bank - North Lawndale opens its doors at NLEN's new campus building. Through community planning, NLEN establishes its award-winning job readiness training program, U-Turn Permitted, with early funders: Annie E. Casey Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Robert R. McCormick Foundation,Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Woods Foundation, and the Alphawood Foundation Chicago.Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz name beelove® as their top pick for Valentine’s Day in the February 2018 issue of People magazine. NLEN received national recognition as a Citi Foundation Progress Maker in a CityLab feature.NLEN is named one of six Pritzker Traubert Foundation Chicago Prize finalists. NLEN's President and CEO Brenda Palms Barber is named one of 20 Finalists for the inaugural Elevate Prize and is selected as one of 5 international Fellows.NLEN begins construction to transform the original Community Bank of NL to a workforce development campus, with a Wintrust Bank, SB production facility and beelove café.; hiring 67% people of color and 24% women owned businesses. The Transitional Board legally establishes NLEN as a 501(c)3.NLEN opens Chicago’s first Financial Opportunity Center (formerly the Center for Working Families) in partnership with LISC Chicago, using the Annie E. Casey Foundation model. NLEN, with support from Congressman Danny K. Davis and the Illinois Department of Corrections, is awarded the Serious and Violent Offenders Re-entry Initiative, Going Home grant.NLEN holds the inaugural Sweet Beginnings Tea at the Chicago Park Hyatt. Sweet Beginnings apiary & honeybee education program is launched at Forest Preserve District of Cook County. NLEN honored with Metlife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award in recognition of its Building Bridges, Building Connections program.NLEN is awarded the Racial Healing grant through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.Whole Foods Market distributes beelove® products. The Chicago Tribune highlights NLEN and Sweet Beginnings in "The Beekeepers," a four-part front-page feature written by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Louise Kiernan.NLEN receives the Urban Land Institute Vision Award and Community Neighborhood Development Award.Sweet Beginnings is featured in Women'sDay magazine in their November 2017 issue.Steans Family Foundation recruits Brenda Palms Barber from Denver Colorado to lead NLEN. 20052020Sweet Beginnings LLC hires its 500th transitional employeeNLEN hires 52 employees.NLEN launches The Campaign That Works and purchases the Liberty Bank building on 1111 S. Homan Ave. to house its future campus.NLEN’s Board and Alderman Scott Jr. host a donor appreciation luncheon honoring campaign leadership donors and funders. 19982021200020012003200220052004200620122013200720142015201120172016201820202019 Our History - Our Impact