www,gwcollective.org
a CliquePoint Data Foundation initiative
GOOD WORK
COLLECTIVE
Where Good Work Changes Lives
OUR MISSION
The Good Work Collective is a trauma-informed workforce development initiative providing paid work experience, job and life skills training, and wraparound support for our neighbors impacted by the justice system, foster care, and systemic barriers.
We create spaces where talent is cultivated,
dignity is restored, and purpose-driven work
leads to lasting change.
Why We Do
What We Do
DID YOU KNOW?
Nearly 1 in 4 young people who age out of foster care experience homelessness within 12 months.
Roughly two-thirds of formerly incarcerated people remain unemployed or underemployed one year after release.
Over 40% of young adults exiting foster care will be incarcerated by age 26.
Over 60% of formerly incarcerated people are
re-arrested within 3 years of their release.
It's not a lack of talent. It's a lack of access.
Every year, young adults age out of foster care into a world with no safety net—expected to “make it” without the support most of us take for granted.
Every day, people return home from incarceration determined to rebuild—but face housing barriers, job discrimination, and the weight of stigma that outlasts their sentence.
The barriers they face are more complex than past choices or circumstances—they’re the result of under-resourced systems, generational trauma,
and deeply rooted inequities.
At Good Work Collective
we’re not asking for sympathy - or a handout.
We’re building solutions.
PROGRAMS & SERVICES
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR HOME, PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY WORK
New Settlement House
Honoring the Past.
Radically Rewriting the Future.
Gangsta to Genius
No Labels. Just Legacy.
Re-entry with Resources.
Foster to Fly
Take Off. Stand Tall. Stay Fly.
Support for the
Journey Ahead.
Commissary Kitchen
A Community Launchpad
for Flavor—and for Founders.
Cafe & Ghost Kitchen
Where Affordable Meals Create Priceless Jobs.
Co-Working & Event Spaces, Tech Hub
For the Dreamers Who Do—and the Doers Who Dare.
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
SPONSORSHIPS
Want to Change the System? Fund the Disruptors.
We don’t believe in sponsorship as a transaction. We believe in shared power. When you invest here, you know exactly who and what you’re supporting—because you’ll meet them.
This isn’t philanthropy-as-usual.
It’s personal.
Radically transparent.
And unforgettable.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Where Local Partnerships Spark Big Change.
The best kind of impact happens when we do it together. Whether you’re a nonprofit, business, school, church, or grassroots group, there’s a place for you in the Collective. Explore how we can align our missions, pool our resources, and change the future—together.
DONORS
Be the Reason Someone Gets a Second Chance.
Behind every donation is a story waiting to change. Your support helps justice-impacted individuals and young adults aging out of foster care access job training, wraparound services, and a community that believes in them. You’re not just giving money—you’re giving someone the chance to be seen, supported, and equipped to succeed.
OUR TEAM
MEET THE TEAM BEHIND THE MISSION
Willie Drake
Founder & Executive Director
ex officio board member
Willie Drake brings lived experience and deep-rooted compassion to his role at Good Work Collective. As a formerly incarcerated individual, Willie knows firsthand the challenges faced by those navigating reentry. His journey fuels his passion to rewrite the narrative around justice-impacted individuals—centered on dignity, purpose, and possibility.
A respected voice in Cleveland's grassroots and community spaces, Willie is known for meeting people where they are—and walking beside them as they move forward. His leadership ensures TGWC remains grounded in the needs of the community we serve.
Lissa Bowen
Director, Programs & Partnerships
Lissa Bowen is a trauma-informed workforce strategist, leadership coach, and adoptive mom whose heart for this work is rooted in personal experience. After fostering children and adopting her son who were impacted by the system, she saw firsthand how deep the gaps are—and how powerful support can be. Lissa has led culture transformation and leadership development for companies and nonprofits alike. At Good Work Collective, she brings big-picture strategy and grassroots heart, helping to scale programs, build partnerships, and turn bold ideas into real change.
OUR BOARD + TEAM
Keith Benford - Board President
Jerrit Thomas - Board Vice President
Chris White - Board Secretary & Treasurer
Natasha Kathiany - Accounting
Torin Darling Brazzle - Strategic Advisor to the Board
MEDIA
Stirring Up Good Trouble.
Backed by Good Work.
Welcome to the hub where bold ideas, community transformation, and unapologetic advocacy collide. Follow us on social to stay in the loop, share the movement, and help us stir up some good trouble in the name of equity and opportunity. For media inquiries, interviews, speaking requests, or to feature Good Work Collective in your coverage—this is the place.
Let’s amplify stories that matter.
Good Work Collective | 501(c)3
The New Settlement House
1523 E. 55th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44103