Our Vision

To advance social and economic equity and peaceful communities for all people.

Our Mission

Revolution Workshop's nonprofit social enterprise provides construction and woodworking workforce  development for unemployed or underemployed people in partnership with area businesses. ​We deliver financial independence and careers through skills, hope, and resilience.

Why Us

Revolution Workshop was inspired by a small group of skilled trades employers and workforce development leaders who were outraged by the lack of opportunity for communities of color and the acute talent shortage in the construction sector.

Faced with a staggering 37% unemployment rate for Chicago's black residents aged 20 to 24, something needed to be done. 

In 2017, the group banded together to found Revolution Workshop, a bold incubator that would serve as a pipeline to the construction industry. Using best practices, RW aimed to uplift Chicago's underserved communities by providing free training for jobs in the skilled construction trades.

More than a workforce development program, we are a family, delivering financial independence and careers through skills, hope, and resilience.

​Today, Revolution Workshop stands as a national model for economic advancement.  Stop by anytime. We can't wait to show you where we've been and where we're headed next. Our door is always open.

Buy RW

You dream it. We build it. 
When you commission a handcrafted piece, you're rebuilding and transforming lives. You'll be with us every step of the way – from design to fabrication to delivery. Each purchase drives impact. Click here to learn more.

Skilled Trades Labor Shortage.
  • ​For the seventh consecutive year, the 2017 Manpower talent shortage employer survey lists the skilled trades as the hardest jobs to fill in the United States.
  • Nearly 40% of the Chicago metro building construction workforce was lost after 2008, yet demand for building in 2017 continues to grow for both residential and commercial projects.* 
  • There is an aging workforce with more than half of skilled tradesmen over 45 years old.** 
  • A building renaissance is underway, as the last big building boom happened during the Eisenhower administration. Our nation’s infrastructure needs to be rebuilt.
* Chicago Tribune May 31, 2016 “Construction contractors warn of a labor shortage as building booms” **EMSI, 2012