A Second U Foundation supports formerly incarcerated men and women as they transition home and work to overcome employment barriers and avoid recidivism through rewarding, self-sustainable careers in the fitness industry. Its rigorous coursework prepares participants to pass the personal trainer national certification exam, while emphasizing professional skills like business development and client rapport. Second U credentials graduates’ abilities, which helps them to secure jobs. Participants achieve gainful employment and a sense of accomplishment through their positive contributions to society.
Key Issue Area
Criminal Justice
Organizational Leadership
Hector Guadalupe
ACE Scholarships offers children in low-income families the opportunity to attend the school of their choice. ACE provides scholarships for students in grades K-12, where both the child’s family and the school contribute. Through this approach, all parties involved in a child’s education have “skin in the game,” a vested interest in the child’s success. Nine-in-ten ACE scholars graduate high school, and 74% enroll in college. ACE has awarded more than 42,000 scholarships since its launch in 2000, and since partnering with Stand Together Foundation, has doubled its reach.
Key Issue Area
Youth
Organizational Leadership
Norton Rainey
Acts Housing makes the dream of homeownership a reality for those with economic and other barriers. Acts Housing gives low-income families the opportunity to build equity, reduce overall housing costs, and get on a path to long-term financial stability providing financial counseling, real estate services, and access to capital that enables families to transition from renting to buying. Many families purchase distressed homes and Acts assists them in transforming the house into a home, improving blocks and neighborhoods in the process.
Key Issue Area
Economic Mobility
Organizational Leadership
Michael Gosman
Adaptive Training Foundation
HQCarrollton, TX All Locations
Adaptive Training Foundation provides athletic training and holistic recovery services to help citizens of various abilities and veterans overcome physical, mental, and external barriers to their self-sufficiency. Unlike most programs for people with disabilities which lean heavily on medication and focus on physical deficits, ATF emphasizes whole-person recovery to build up physical abilities while providing space for emotional healing—and elevating the potential of all individuals.
Key Issue Area
Addiction, Mental Health, and Trauma
Organizational Leadership
David Vobora
Advance Peace reduces urban gun violence by employing Neighborhood Change Agents to support high-risk individuals with mentoring, conflict resolution, anger management, and other services. Through its groundbreaking Peacemaker Fellowship, which supports young men involved in lethal firearm offenses, Advance Peace is proving that the cycle of gun violence can be broken by community-driven strategies that provide real alternatives, rather than the threat of incarceration.
Key Issue Area
Criminal Justice
Organizational Leadership
DeVone Boggan
Act - Advocates for Community Transformation empowers men and women in underserved communities to fight crime on their street using the civil justice system — existing laws — to make neighborhood safety a normal reality for all. Act equips those closest to the problem — residents — with tools and support to protect their neighborhoods, pairs them with attorneys, and helps them complement the work of police and the city to create tangible, long-lasting change. Through Act’s work, community social cohesion grows, hope is restored, and residents establish collective efficacy, a willingness to intervene, and informal social control for safer, flourishing communities.
Key Issue Area
Criminal Justice
Organizational Leadership
Reid Porter
Akola Project unites women on two continents to create beautiful jewelry through its “full impact” supply chain. Women in Dallas and Uganda create raw materials, assemble jewelry, distribute finished goods, and sell jewelry, all at a living wage.
Key Issue Area
Economic Mobility
Organizational Leadership
Brittany Merrill Underwood
Ambition Angels uses technology to equip teens with skills to thrive in college, careers, and beyond. Many young people miss out on opportunities to develop social-emotional and life skills they’ll need as adults. To meet this gap, Ambition Angels delivers free online courses through an app, rewarding participants as they go, and helping them develop a habit of investing in themselves.
Key Issue Area
Youth
Organizational Leadership
Remi Sobomehin
Ambition Angels uses technology to equip teens with skills to thrive in college, careers, and beyond. Many young people miss out on opportunities to develop social-emotional and life skills they’ll need as adults. To meet this gap, Ambition Angels delivers free online courses through an app, rewarding participants as they go, and helping them develop a habit of investing in themselves.
Key Issue Area
Youth
Organizational Leadership
Remi Sobomehin
America On Tech is committed to decreasing the racial wealth gap in underserved and underestimated communities by creating pathways for students of color into technology degrees and careers. Programs are structured to end cycles of poverty; put students on a path to economic empowerment; enable under-resourced schools to deliver high-quality tech education; advance multiple career pathways; and go beyond education to ensure students are positioned for success. Of AOT students, 85% identify as African American and/or Latino and 56% as women or gender non-conforming.
Key Issue Area
Economic Mobility
Organizational Leadership
Jessica Santana
