Kareem Edwards Went From Wall Street To Chicago’s First And Only Black Chick-Fil-A Owner-Operator – AfroTech
Kareem Edwards went from Wall Street to making history in entrepreneurship.
Edwards, raised in Queens, NY, is a DePauw University graduate who earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics on a Posse Foundation scholarship, according to Essence. He worked on Wall Street and then at Lehman Brothers, even during the 2008 economic recession. However, his wife, whom he met while in college, had always advocated for him to pursue entrepreneurship, specifically opening a restaurant. Edwards, who had “a knack for bringing people together and getting things done,” also wanted to find his passion, and it wasn’t Wall Street.
“I am crushing this industry, even though I’m not happy,” he told Essence. “If I go to business school, I understand even more about business and then maybe I go down entrepreneurship or find something that I truly like.”
Edwards pivoted, attended the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and graduated in 2015, the outlet noted.
He didn’t immediately jump into entrepreneurship at that point. He actually worked at The Kraft Heinz Co. for three years, first as an associate brand manager for Kraft Cheese, then as a senior associate brand manager on its breakthrough innovation team. That team was also responsible for the launch of Just Crack an Egg, recognized as a top new product by Neilsen, per Essence. A three-year post at Google followed, as a senior partner lead in retail, according to his LinkedIn profile.
During this time, he had been looking at franchising opportunities, and Chick-fil-A emerged as a leading option because of its hands-on business model and emphasis on community engagement.
“I wanted to make the impact,” he told Essence. “I wanted to be there and really see the change.”
When Edwards was not working at Google, you could find him spending some of his nights working shifts at Chick-fil-A to see if it would be the right franchising choice, per the outlet.
In 2021, he officially left Google. He had already saved money, and that same year, he became an owner-operator of a Chick-fil-A.
“I’m going to be resentful to myself for not taking the chance on me and betting on myself,” he expressed to Essence.
In 2026, Edwards is still putting into practice the business model of considering the nearby community through a $50,000 donation to support Just Roots Chicago, according to CBS News.
Based in Chicago’s South Side, the nonprofit farming organization provides food to residents through pathways such as food pantries and offers programs that teach residents how to grow their own food and live healthily. It also launched the Growing Young Leaders program, which is training future food justice leaders ages of 16 to 24, according to information on its website.
“Really, what we are all about is trying to make sure that the food we’re growing is as fresh as it can be and it’s staying in the community,” Just Roots Chicago Co-Founder Ruane said, per CBS News.
