“Our goal through this film is to change the narrative. We want to rebuild the conversation about what youth justice should look like, and what kinds of opportunities these young people deserve.”
-Chad HouserCEO, Founder // Café Momentum and Momentum Advisory Co.
BUILDING MOMENTUM is an original 50-minute documentary featuring an in-depth look at the Momentum model for youth justice that started in 2015 with Café Momentum, an award-winning restaurant and culinary training facility with a paid post-release one-year internship program that provides employment, life skills training and wraparound care to justice-involved youth in Dallas, Texas.
BUILDING MOMENTUM tells the story of founder Chad Houser’s efforts to provide resources, opportunity and wraparound care to justice-involved youth in his hometown of Dallas through the eyes of the Café Momentum team and the inspiring youth that the program serves.
To support the program’s national expansion, the documentary will explore the Café Momentum ecosystem of support, including employment, education, community and mental health services, as well as the life-changing impact of the Momentum model on Dallas’ most at-risk youth.
Café Momentum has begun its national expansion plans. In 2022, we launched programming in Nashville and Pittsburgh. We are currently exploring five additional cities.
Director
Chad Windham
Executive Producers
Chad Houser
Chad Windham
Elliot Schrock
Lindsay Schrock
Olivia Cole
BUILDING MOMENTUM is presented by PPB Productions, in association with Schrock Films.
“As a storyteller, I realized that this was a story that needed to be brought to light. It’s not an easy story to hear, but it's eye-opening – and inspiring. There is deep-rooted disparity and segregation in our society. I never knew how big and systematic that gap is until we started digging into the lives and stories of these interns. Café Momentum is helping to bridge that gap. It’s made me realize that these kids aren’t criminals or thugs. They are survivors. Once they recognize that there is a chance for success, a chance to change their course, a chance for opportunity and that people care for them and are willing to help – they blossom.
This documentary is the story of these kids and what they’re capable of achieving when their community believes in them.”
— Chad Windham
Director, PPB Productions
“Creating this documentary was important to me because I wanted to capture and share the impact that Café Momentum has had beyond the walls of our award-winning restaurant. This includes our Community Services Center – where a dedicated team works 24/7 to provide support, resources and unconditional love to our interns. Viewers will also hear from civic and youth justice leaders who have taken notice of the positive impact that the Momentum model has had on Dallas’ most vulnerable youth.
But more than anything, we needed to share the stories and legacies that these young people are creating – because together, as one nation, we can make the Momentum model a reality for every community in our country.”