Rinearson launched Jake’s Ice Cream in August 2021 and later expanded her mission with Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn, offering jobs designed to foster independence. Across both locations, staff learn food preparation, cake decorating, packaging, and customer service. Due to low turnover and word-of-mouth referrals, the shops maintain a waiting list of applicants seeking employment. The successful workplace model has earned formal accolades from local officials as well as national advocacy groups.
Key points
Inclusive business ventures can provide sustainable, year-round employment that fosters p…: Inclusive business ventures can provide sustainable, year-round employment that fosters practical independence for individuals with disabilities.
High employee retention and peer referrals demonstrate a strong, ongoing demand for suppo…: High employee retention and peer referrals demonstrate a strong, ongoing demand for supportive workplace environments.
Public-private recognition highlights how local small businesses can successfully partner…: Public-private recognition highlights how local small businesses can successfully partner with broader disability advocacy initiatives.
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By 2026, Robin Rinearson’s two Fairfax County businesses have become more than neighbourhood food shops, they have become workplaces where people with disabilities can build skills, confidence and independence. When retired optometrist Robin Rinearson opened Jake’s Ice Cream in Virginia in 2021, her goal was not simply to sell scoops of ice cream. She wanted to create something she felt was missing: meaningful, long-term employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Five years later, that small idea has grown into two businesses employing 35 people, 24 at Jake’s Ice Cream and 11 at Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn. Rinearson now says she has a waiting list of people hoping to work there. The story was reported by local news outlet FFXnow after Fairfax County supervisors recognised Rinearson on August 25 for her inclusive hiring practices. Earlier this summer, the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) also named her a 2026 Ability Transcends Challenges Award recipient.
It began with her nephew
The ice-cream shop was named after Rinearson’s nephew, Jake, who has cerebral palsy. Before the pandemic, Jake had held a job for years.
Investors in the company have formally cleared a path for the business to reorganize its operations without judicial intervention. This consensus allows the firm to address its operational framework directly with stakeholders rather than navigating traditional court-supervised proceedings. Consequently, the organization secures the necessary internal mandate to pursue its corporate turnaround independently.
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