Transitional Employment: Just the Solution You Never Know You Needed
A Talk by Coming Soon , Ilyssa Manspeizer , Donta Green and Jennifer Flanagan
About this Talk
Equity means ensuring that individuals who have been historically excluded from legal economic opportunities — due to incarceration, homelessness, substance use, mental health diagnoses, caregiving responsibilities, poverty, or nontraditional work histories — can access and sustain meaningful employment. But equity doesn't stop at job access. It also requires safe housing, reliable transportation, healthy food, clean environments, and employers committed to inclusive practices and culture change.
This session explores how three innovative organizations combine transitional employment with wraparound services to spark systemic change — boosting food security, renovating homes, and restoring local environments. Together, they model what it looks like to dismantle structural barriers while building workforce pathways that center dignity and resilience.
Attendees will hear firsthand how these leaders built nationally recognized programs through continuous learning and community collaboration. Participants will be invited to reflect on the structural barriers in their own sectors — and how supportive, transitional employment models might become tools for transforming them. Come ready to explore how challenges can become opportunities for lasting equity.