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

WTTW / by Joanna Hernandez / February 12, 2026

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. View More Here.