IN THIS POST
CONTACT:
Jaclynn Coussa
Director, Marketing & Communications
jcoussa@redf.org | (415) 510-6027
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO (December 4, 2025) — REDF, a leading organization dedicated to expanding and advancing the national field of employment social enterprises (ESEs), is proud to announce the selection of its 2026 cohort of impact-driven business leaders for the REDF Accelerator. This cohort, composed of 20 inspiring individuals co-leading 10 ESEs in locations across the U.S., represents a diverse and dynamic group of change-makers committed to hiring people overcoming the toughest barriers to work.
By combining paid, on-the-job training with supportive services such as assistance with childcare or transportation, ESEs help people stabilize their lives, expand their skills, and build economic power. The Accelerator focuses on early to mid-stage enterprises new to REDF, operating a six-month, cohort-based program that equips ESE leaders with the network, skills, and tools they need to strengthen their businesses and enhance programming for participants striving to overcome employment barriers.
A core tenet of REDF’s mission is investing in leaders who reflect and deeply understand the communities they serve. In program selection, REDF prioritizes leaders whose own experiences mirror the barriers their employees face, because those insights lead to more effective and enduring solutions. That priority is evident in this latest Accelerator cohort: 75 percent of participating leaders identify as having lived experience with the challenges faced by their workforce, and 60 percent of the businesses are led by people of color.
“Throughout the Accelerator, I look forward to enhancing our capacity to measure our impact both qualitatively and quantitatively, particularly focusing on the social and economic outcomes achieved by our workers,” says Thrive New Orleans Executive Director Chuck Morse. “With access to national leaders, tools, and coaching, we are eager to create a scalable model that remains true to the community-centered values that define our work,” adds Thrive Director of Operations Darren Morris.
The selected leaders will participate in an intensive program, focusing on honing aspects of business development, experiment design methodology, employee success program design, and financial sustainability, to help entrepreneurs expand the difference they make in their communities. At the conclusion of the Accelerator, each enterprise will receive a $20,000 grant to support operational growth. Leaders will also connect with ESE peers in REDF’s thriving REDF Community.
“We are honored to celebrate 10 years of creating inclusive learning environments with business leaders across the nation,” says Yodit Beyene, director of the Accelerator. “We look forward to continuing in our mission to support the growth of the employment social enterprise network. Our leaders are experts in their fields, and it is their expertise and dedication that make this work possible. They continue to prove time and again that ESEs are an investment that works, and our impact is stronger when we build spaces to learn from one another’s lived expertise.”
This cohort will convene leaders from organizations based in seven states, including the first REDF-affiliated ESE located in Maine. Leaders represent both for-profit and nonprofit businesses from a broad swathe of industries, including urban agriculture, consumer goods, and environmental services:
- Muhammad Abdul-Hadi & Desire Vincent Levy, Down North Pizza (Philadelphia, PA)
- Nicole Francis & Ebonee Baker, Elocin Global Logistics (Baltimore, MD)
- Airn Talbert & Monique Jackson, L&F Project Management (Los Angeles, CA)
- Margo Walsh & Wesley Salvucci, MaineWorks (Portland, ME)
- Lauren Caldarera & Carie-Anne Simmons, My Connect Community (Houston, TX)
- Devin Hamilton & Julia Hillengas, PowerCorpsPHL (Philadelphia, PA)
- Machaela Parkin & Seren Roff, Respond Crisis Translation (San Francisco, CA)
- Chuck Morse & Darren Morris, Thrive New Orleans (New Orleans, LA)
- Chris Bromley & Maggie Beldecos, Trade Institute of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Hayley Ball & Zarea Mobley, Urban Roots MN (St. Paul, MN)
This cohort will join the 185 ESE leaders the REDF Accelerator has supported since its launch in 2016.
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ABOUT REDF
REDF invests in employment social enterprises (ESEs) — businesses that provide jobs, training, and support to people breaking through barriers to employment. REDF partners with these businesses and the entrepreneurs who lead them — providing capital, capacity, and community — to amplify their transformative impact. Since 1997, REDF has invested in more than 363 ESEs in 42 states and DC. Collectively, these partnerships have helped 157,000 people enter the workforce and generate more than $3.1 billion in revenue that is reinvested in employee success — creating a ripple effect that strengthens families and communities and helps build an economy that works. For everyone. For more information, visit www.redf.org.
