Wealth Our Way Grantee E.G. Woode
December 11, 2025
E.G. Woode is transforming a former bar and lounge in the heart of Englewood into a flexible Pop-Up Hub that will serve as a creative and economic launchpad for local entrepreneurs. Wealth Our Way funding will support the buildout of the 1,860 square feet space, including its interior, small commercial kitchenette, and integrated lighting and AV systems, allowing the Hub to host rotating pop-ups, art exhibitions, chef showcases, workshops, and cultural programming. Future phases include expanded community programming and youth-led activations.
E.G. Woode was founded to revitalize Englewood’s commercial corridors and expand access to opportunities for Black entrepreneurs on Chicago’s South Side. The organization’s unique model pairs community-rooted real estate development with a youth-led Community Benefit Trust (CBT) that reinvests a portion of project profits into locally selected initiatives. This ensures that decision-making power, and the economic value generated, remains with Englewood residents. Through below-market rents, shared-use infrastructure, and collaborative business support, E.G. Woode creates a platform for local talent to grow and flourish.
E.G. Woode’s mission is rooted in collective agency and generational investment. Its values — Collective Ownership, Local Control, Democratic Participation, Economic Justice, Cultural Legacy, and Sustainability — shape the development of the Pop-Up Hub and guide the organization’s long-term strategy to build a thriving, self-determined Englewood. By centering Black creatives and entrepreneurs, E.G. Woode creates spaces where residents can gather, build businesses, showcase their talents, and reinvest in one another. The small business pop-up will be the third building developed by the collective.
Interview with E.G. Woode
What does community wealth building mean to you?
Stewardship drives our work forward, and it’s our aim to provide benefits to all community members, not just those who can invest directly. By implementing a generational strategy rather than a right now strategy, we hope to serve as the rich neighborhood aunt and uncle who uses their assets to leverage, deploy and build the things that our community calls for. Who cares if one person gets fabulously wealthy if nobody else benefits?
Which aspect of this project are you most excited about?
Catalytic developments often come from a multitude of small things that stack on top of each other. While we adore larger developments, they often take time to turn over and include scarce amenities for the broader community. We look forward to catering to the Englewood community, while building towards a vision for the future. The possibility of meeting 50 entrepreneurs next door instead of just one is also exciting. By offering a multi-purposed blank box to the Englewood community, we hope to meet the next wave of people who wish to make an impact on this community that we call home.
What impact do you hope it will have on Englewood and beyond?
We hope that other communities will view our way of valuing both people and place and eventually steal our blueprint to use for their own neighborhood. If we can serve as a conduit to partnership with others as we begin to grow down the Englewood corridor then we will feel accomplished.