Makeba Jones — Founder & Director

Welcome to Holistic Soul House! I’m Makeba “Chef Keeba” Jones, your Director and the heart behind our mission to transform how communities connect, heal, and thrive. With a background in business operations, project management, and holistic wellness, I am passionate about creating safe, welcoming spaces where meaningful conversations can flourish and lasting community bonds can be restored.

As both a Project Manager and Culinary Therapy facilitator, I combine my skills in operations, event coordination, wellness program design, and culinary arts to deliver powerful healing experiences. Through strategic planning, stakeholder collaboration, and thoughtful program execution, I am dedicated to restoring the power of shared meals, rebuilding relationships, and supporting our community’s resilience and prosperity.

My commitment to the community led me to create the first culinary social service program integrated into an emergency residential shelter for adolescents under state guardianship in Chicago — a groundbreaking model of using food as a healing tool.

Many cultures have partaken in family-style meals for generations. I remember Sunday dinners at my Aunt Lois and Uncle Floyd’s home in Chicago — a place filled with laughter, stories, and true togetherness. Family and friends would gather to catch up, share challenges, and celebrate each other. In their absence in recent years, I saw how modern families became more disconnected, struggling to communicate in meaningful, healthy ways. I realized our community was lacking wellness spaces that focus on harmonious relationships, empathy, and trust.

Let me tell you a little about how I turned my personal journey into my life’s work. Throughout a life filled with uncertainties, personal setbacks, and countless obstacles — including surviving domestic violence and experiencing homelessness — cooking has been my personal therapy. Creating amazing dishes and attending counseling sessions became the catalyst to rebuilding my self-worth and confidence. Cooking gave me a sense of empowerment, soothing the pain of physical and emotional trauma, and reminded me of my value. Seeing the joy my meals gave others fueled my spirit. I soon realized that this was my gift to the universe.

Over a decade ago, while living in Houston, Texas, I started hosting a weekly gathering with my closest female friends. I prepared incredible meals, and together we tackled personal, family, and social challenges while breaking bread. This experience blossomed into Ladies Night, a weekly “Culinary Therapy” circle that created an uplifting, supportive community. Our conversations opened space for encouragement, healing, and growth. The spirit of those gatherings sparked the framework for my Culinary Therapy practice today.

My training at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, Georgia, gave me the professional skills that took me into the restaurant and entertainment industries, where I advanced to become executive chef at several establishments. Those opportunities built a network of private and celebrity clients in Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston. As a Certified ServSafe® Instructor and Registered ServSafe Proctor, I’ve trained countless food professionals, and I proudly hold certifications as a Holistic Nutritionist and Holistic Health Coach.

I invite you to join me on this journey — together, we will heal, connect, and transform, one meal at a time.