Kalen McAllister

Social Enterprise

A Buddhist priest in St. Louis, Kalen has spent years organizing groups of people to fill and distribute backpacks to the homeless.  She has spearheaded the publication of “Start Here”, a resource guide for the homeless, veterans and released felons. A former prison chaplain, she also facilitates a meditation group to discover ways to aid men and women in prison and to assist them upon their release. She is the founder of Laughing Bear Bakery, a company that employs former felons. This stemmed from a promise she made to inmates who shared their fears of being released and the challenges they would have finding employment.