Spring 2025

STRIVE Employment Specialist Edgar Alcantara (L) with Future Leaders alum Braulio (R). 

STRIVE Is Awarded $5M Grant From U.S. Department Of Labor To Expand Employment Services For Young Adults In Cities Nationally

With a 40-year track record and proven approach to evidence-based skills and job readiness training, STRIVE continues to partner with the federal government to help employers fill critical hiring gaps with motivated, certified employees, and today announces receipt of a $5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

This grant provides fully 100% funding for STRIVE’s proven Future Leaders program, which serves justice-impacted young adults aged 18-24 seeking a career path with opportunities for advancement and supports the expansion of Future Leaders programs at STRIVE operated sites in New York, Birmingham and through our affiliate partners in New Orleans. 

Against the backdrop of significant economic and policy uncertainty, STRIVE stands out as a national leader in workforce development solutions for employers nationwide and holds a successful track record of partnering with the DOL. This marks the eleventh federal grant since 2012 awarded to STRIVE. 

Expanding Our Impact To New Jersey

After more than a year of exploration and extensive engagement with government, philanthropic and community leaders in New Jersey to identify demand for entry level talent in high-growth business sectors, STRIVE North Jersey will launch this fall with enrollment for our signature Career Path program offering onramps to careers in Nonclinical Healthcare. 

With growth capital from leading national funders such as Blue Meridian Partners and Ballmer Group, among others, expansion to New Jersey is part of STRIVE’s ambitious 10-year goal to serve 10,000 students annually in communities across the nation.

Announcing New Leadership

Praise Apampa

STRIVE Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

Praise has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit finance, accounting and administration.

Prior to joining STRIVE, Praise served as the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for PEN America, an organization dedicated to protecting free expression in the United States and around the world, and which operates at the intersection of literature and human rights.

Sylvia Banderas Coffinet

Media & Marketing Executive, CEO & Founder, Asterion Advisory, STRIVE Board Member

A long-time STRIVE supporter and enthusiast, Sylvia was first introduced to STRIVE by Dick Barthelmes, who nominated her for the STRIVE Board.

Sylvia most recently served as CEO of Latino Media Network, a Latina-owned and -led media company focused on serving the Latino community in the US. In her career, she has driven growth and monetized leading media brands for more than 17 years.

STRIVE Presents @ SXSW EDU

STRIVE leaders and partners held a talk at this year’s SXSW EDU on alternative education models that support career aspirations of individuals facing systemic challenges, addressing traditional college as not viable or necessary for everyone.

Panelists shared insights on how people who face disruptions in their lives, including those who are justice-impacted, can get on a pathway to prosperity with the right kind of support, career skills training and employer partnerships.

L to R: Monique Baptiste, Valerie Orellana, Roy Castro and Gregg Bishop at SXSW EDU 2025.

Thanks to our session panelists: Gregg Bishop, Executive Director, Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation Social Justice Fund; Valerie Orellana, R.N., M.S., Vice President, Human Resources, Mount Sinai Health System; Roy Castro, Founder and CEO of Castro Ventures, STRIVE board co-chair and alum; and our moderator, Monique Baptiste, STRIVE Chief Program Officer.

Partnering with Mount Sinai Health System Supply Chain

Mount Sinai supply chain staff complete two-day professional development pilot with STRIVE New York.

STRIVE New York has teamed up with Mount Sinai Health System to develop a two-day supply chain professional development workshop based on our proven Career Readiness curriculum.

This collaborative initiative will help Mount Sinai to develop staff with professional skills, conflict resolution strategies and growth mindset among supervisors and line staff, with the goal to establish clear pathways to career advancement within the robust Mount Sinai Health System network.

The series began with a successful pilot among leadership and in the coming weeks workshops will be attended by up to 200 Mount Sinai supply chain staff.

Fair Chances through Fresh Start in Birmingham

Our first expansion of Fresh Start, STRIVE’s evidence-based workforce reentry program, outside of New York was successfully launched in Birmingham February 3!

Graduates have been certified as Forklift Operators and are on the path to careers in distribution and logistics.

Fresh Start Birmingham students are now certified Forklift Operators and ready for work. 

We thank our local partners essential in helping us reach, train and serve justice-impacted residents who are motivated and ready for a new start and a pathway to possible: Salvation Army, Offender Alumni Association, Jefferson State Community College and the State of Alabama Pardons and Paroles Day Reporting Center.

Program Growth in Atlanta

James, STRIVE Atlanta Future Leaders student.

STRIVE Atlanta has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, doubling in size between 2023 and 2024. As part of this growth, they have expanded industry pathways, including the addition of a Flagger certification to its Future Leaders program.

Offered in partnership with Haliburton Heavy Equipment Operator School, this new certification equips students with the essential skills to safely direct traffic in construction zones, enhancing both worksite safety and job readiness, and ensures they meet industry safety standards and are equipped to secure high-demand roles in construction and infrastructure development. 

 “Earning my Flagger certification gives me a boost of confidence, and now I feel like I can apply to some of the road construction crews that I see every day,”

James, STRIVE Atlanta Future Leaders student

Alumni Success Inspires the Next

STRIVE New Orleans Executive Director Angela Shiloh Cryer with Alum Marques.

STRIVE partnerships in New Orleans date back to 2015, and we are proud of the deep connections within the community we continue to cultivate.

2015 Alum Marques paid a visit to staff last month and spoke with students on the life-changing impact of STRIVE programs and services on his life and career.

Marques has been employed with the City of New Orleans for more than eight years, advancing into a supervisory position.

April is Fair Chance Month

April is Fair Chance Month and we at STRIVE affirm our commitment to providing Pathways to Possible for individuals seeking a new start.

STRIVE helps people discover their best future selves through 
innovative workforce solutions. We recognize people are more than their past, and we all need more than just a job to succeed.

Careers @ STRIVE

We’re hiring in Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans and New York!

STRIVE is a catalyst for economic change and prosperity. We prepare individuals 18+ for careers in high-growth industries such as healthcare, construction and logistics, and our proven model works: 80% of STRIVE students graduate, 76% attain employment and 70% retain employment long-term. We meet people where they are, including those impacted by the justice system, and help them achieve their life and career goals. At STRIVE, there is always a path forward.

Join our team of changemakers and be part of the solution. 

Support the Pathway to Possible

STRIVE is a national workforce development solution for people ready and motivated for a new start. We offer tuition-free skills and job-readiness training, one-on-one support and lifetime personal coaching. We create partnerships that result in pathways to life-changing careers for people, while helping employers close critical gaps in their workforces.

STRIVE is a smart investment and delivers a tangible impact .We take an evidence-based approach to our work, leveraging data to enhance our impact and the return on your investment.

Support our continued growth and impact.