On October 4, 2018, more than 200 workforce leaders, policymakers, service providers, researchers, and community stakeholders gathered at Los Angeles City Hall for From Homelessness to Employment, a convening designed to examine lessons from LA:RISE and to explore strategies to expand employment opportunities for people navigating significant barriers to work.

As the lead coordinating the event in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and regional workforce leaders, my role included agenda development, speaker coordination, logistics, participant engagement, and the creation of opportunities for dialogue across sectors.

The gathering centered on preliminary findings from an independent evaluation of LA:RISE, an initiative uniting City and County workforce systems with employment social enterprises to support individuals experiencing homelessness, reentry populations, opportunity youth, and others facing employment barriers.

Speakers and panelists represented organizations including REDF, LAHSA, supportive housing leaders, workforce agencies, and local government, exploring questions still relevant today: How do communities strengthen pathways to employment while addressing housing instability, reentry, and long-term economic mobility?

The room was full because the conversation extended beyond one program. It reflected growing recognition that sustainable solutions require collaboration among workforce systems, housing providers, employers, philanthropy, government agencies, and community organizations.

One of the most meaningful parts of the event came through participant stories, reminders that data matters, but lived outcomes matter too.