Business

Meet the Women Behind Mechanista, a Chicago Garage Aiming to Make Car Care More Inclusive

Ever pop the hood of your car and have no idea what you’re looking at?

For many drivers, walking into a mechanic shop can feel confusing and sometimes intimidating.

That’s something Ray Chafin knows all too well.

“It’s just not a safe environment, a really inclusive space, when someone talks in vehicle jargon and makes it way overcomplicated, when it’s actually really simple,” Chafin said. “Do you need this, or do you not?”

Chafin is the lead mechanic at Mechanista, a new nonprofit repair shop in Ravenswood designed to make auto care more inclusive for women and nonbinary people.

The shop isn’t just fixing cars — it’s working to fix an industry-wide gender gap.

According to founder Lisa Thompson, women make up just 2% of auto mechanics nationwide.

“It’s a problem because we have all of these openings everywhere,” Thompson said. “… I remember I told my husband, ‘I think I have to do this. I think I have to start a program for this.’”

After years of working in the nonprofit sector, Thompson opened Mechanista in November with a clear mission: to create a space where customers feel comfortable and where more women can see themselves in the automotive field.

For nearly a decade, Chafin was in the Air Force, where she worked as a heavy mobile equipment mechanic. For much of her military career, she was the only woman in the room.

“The whole time in the military, I was the only female,” Chafin said. “It wasn’t until I retired that I got to train my first female in this job.”

Her passion for mechanics started young.

“I was always working with my hands,” Chafin said. “I was probably handed some tool at the age of 2 and told to go play with this outside, take it apart and put it back together.”

At Mechanista, Chafin handles everything from preventive maintenance to engine care — checking tires, replacing filters and making sure vehicles are safe on the road. But the work goes beyond repairs.

“I’m getting the opportunity to create that safe space,” Chafin said, “and the opportunity to give people the confidence and show them that we can do this.”

The shop doesn’t look like a traditional garage.

“I wanted the space to look like a place I would feel comfortable curling up with a book and a cup of coffee,” Thompson said.

There’s room for parents to bring their children and for customers to work while their vehicles are serviced. Thompson hopes clients leave feeling informed, not intimidated.

“I want them to walk out feeling like, ‘Wow, that was fun. That was a pleasant hour, and I know what’s going on with my car,’” Thompson said.

Mechanista’s mission extends beyond its garage doors. The nonprofit is developing a 12-week apprenticeship program for people ages 16 to 24, aimed at giving young women and nonbinary people hands-on experience in the automotive industry.

“I think it’s really critical that we create opportunities for young women to work in a garage and to learn in a place that they feel safe, that they feel included, that they feel is equitable,” Thompson said. “Because otherwise, they may not stay in the field.”

In an industry long dominated by men, Mechanista is proving that change doesn’t just happen under the hood. It starts with opening the door.

Mechanista also hosts car care workshops, including an upcoming Valentine’s Day event where people can learn how to jump-start their car and get a tour under the hood.

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