What Is Employment Social Enterprise?

Employment social enterprises, often called ESEs, are mission-driven businesses that provide paid work, job training, and supportive services to people facing barriers to employment, such as homelessness, incarceration, or substance use recovery.

Unlike traditional job programs, ESEs operate real businesses that generate revenue while creating meaningful employment opportunities.

ESEs have many different legal structures and business models, but they generally all include:

  • Paid, transitional or supportive employment

  • Real businesses selling real products or services

  • Integrated coaching and support

  • Focus on long-term stability and career growth

Barber smiling while styling a client's hair in a modern salon.

Every person an ESE helps into a long-term job saves our community $50,000+ in public costs

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Every person an ESE helps into a long-term job saves our community $50,000+ in public costs .....

Many paths lead to work. One is built specifically for people facing barriers to employment.

Every workforce approach plays an important role.
Employment social enterprise is the one that brings a paycheck, real work and hands-on support together, all at once.

Different tools for different needs. ESEs are designed for people facing barriers to work, such as a past conviction, homelessness, disability or recovery.

People ordering and being served drinks at a restaurant or bar counter. A woman is talking to a server in a red shirt, while others are looking at menus and holding drinks.

The Denver Scene

Denver is home to more than 40 employment social enterprises in a range of business models in every part of the metro area.

Many have retail and service offerings available to the public, meaning your next meal, coffee or haircut could support a healthier city.

ESE Directory
ESE Map

Employment Social Enterprise is an incredibly efficient model. According to national data from Redefine Alliance:

Employment social enterprises produce a $2.23 Social Return on Investment (SROI) for every dollar invested (Mathematica study for REDF).