CHICAGO – Cara Collective, an industry leader in workforce development, is pleased to announce it will honor Allstate at the upcoming 9th Annual Cara Gala on Friday, May 17, 2024. Allstate will receive the Trailblazer Award for its partnership with Cara Collective and for its commitment to closing the racial wealth gap.

“Through its influence and reputation, Allstate demonstrates its dedication to creating opportunity and improving communities by taking bold steps and challenging conventions,” said Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President & CEO of Cara Collective. “They’re an integral part of our Cara Collective community, fueling our mission to support our job seekers, striving to become a more inclusive employer through participation in our Inclusion Action Labs, and building our leadership capacity and supporting the professional advancement of our staff. We are thrilled to honor this partnership at our signature Gala.”

“This award highlights the importance of removing barriers to employment and supporting workforce development,” said Francie S. Richards, Allstate’s Vice President of Social Impact and The Allstate Foundation. “Working alongside Cara Collective helps us further embrace unique identities, provide more opportunities, and deepen relationships with local communities.“

The Cara Gala is annually attended by more than 550 civic, philanthropic, and business leaders and raises more than $900,000 for the nonprofit. This year’s Gala Co-Chairs include Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias & Josephine Giannoulias, Judge Charles Burns (Circuit Court of Cook County), Dr. Suzet McKinney (Sterling Bay), and Jim & Sandy Reynolds (Loop Capital).

(left) Mario Rizzo, President, Property-Liability, will accept for Allstate. (right) Da’Sean Hillsman, Cara graduate and staff member will also be honored.

Previous Trailblazer recipients include Bank of America, Sterling Bay, Rivers Casino, JPMorgan Chase, and philanthropists Dona and Sam Scott, Pete and Amy Kadens, Jim and Kay Mabie, and Martin H. Nesbitt.

In addition to Allstate, Cara Collective will honor program graduate and staff member Da’Sean Hillsman with the Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is given annually to a graduate who is a shining example of Cara’s work to transform lives and communities. Da’Sean started his Cara journey in 2010, after serving a nearly decade-long prison sentence. For the past 12 years, he has served on Cara’s coaching team, walking alongside hundreds of job seekers in their journey out of poverty.

The 9th Annual Cara Gala will be held at The Geraghty. Tickets and sponsorships are available at www.caragala.org or by contacting Tara Harper, Chief External Affairs Officer, at tharper@carachicago.org or 312.798.3307.

About Cara Collective
Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we work with job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve placed more than 8,500 people into more than 14,500 jobs, starting them on their path to real and lasting success. To learn more, please visit www.caracollective.org.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org

Click here to download a PDF of this release.

The post Cara Collective to Honor Allstate appeared first on Cara Collective.

Chicago – Cara Collective, an industry leader in workforce development and poverty alleviation, has announced a historic $8M investment from noted philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This gift is the largest donation in Cara Collective’s 30+ year history and will help the organization, in part, dramatically increase its reach and impact, while creating long-term financial sustainability for the next 30 years and beyond.

“We are humbled and grateful that Ms. Scott has chosen to recognize Cara Collective with this monumental gift,” said Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President & CEO of Cara Collective. “This investment is an acknowledgment of the work Cara Collective has done to support thousands of job seekers in finding gainful employment opportunities and a testament to the dedication of our community who helped us reach this incredible moment. It also demonstrates Ms. Scott’s shared commitment to building an inclusive economy for all.”

Ms. Scott’s one-time, unrestricted gift allows Cara Collective to advance its work while also prioritizing several key areas including:

• Deepening and widening its reach throughout Chicago by bringing programs and services directly into more neighborhoods and communities across the city, with the goal of reaching more job seekers 
• Diversifying workforce development programming to best meet the increasing and varied needs of the thousands of job seekers they will serve
• Driving systemic impact and fostering innovation by furthering its inclusive employment work at the national level and sparking continued social enterprise growth
• Investing in staff and infrastructure to ensure Cara Collective remains a best place to work, grow, and thrive

Above all, this opportunity moves Cara Collective closer to its vision of fueling a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty.

“We recognize there is still a tremendous need to reach even more individuals and communities. This gift is the launch pad that will allow Cara Collective to accelerate to the next chapter of our organization so we can reach thousands more in Chicago and uplift untapped talent nationally,” added Caliento. 

A committee of Cara Collective stakeholders convened over the past six weeks to create a frame for ensuring responsible utilization and maximized impact of the funding in both the short- and long-term. Cara Collective remains committed to centering all decisions around the needs of its program participants and the staff who make the work possible, while providing open transparency to its community about the utilization and impact of this investment.

Cara Collective was selected through Ms. Scott’s charitable organization, Yield Giving, and its Quiet Research process, which independently identifies and evaluates organizations through careful analysis of criteria. Since signing the Giving Pledge in 2019, Scott has given more than $14.1 billion to at least 1,621 organizations working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States.

About Cara Collective

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 8,500 people get placed into more than 14,500 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. To learn more, please visit www.caracollective.org.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org

Click here to download a PDF of this release.

The post Cara Collective Announces $8M Gift from MacKenzie Scott  appeared first on Cara Collective.

We Rise Together: For an Equitable & Just Recovery announced $1 million in funding for seven organizations preparing residents for and connecting them with better employment opportunities in six predominantly Black and Latinx communities in Chicago.

Cara Collective was among the seven, receiving $160,000 to fund support services and career coaching provided at our new Cleanslate hub in the Englewood neighborhood.

We Rise Together is a funders collaborative working with community members to respond to the urgent economic needs of Black and Latinx communities through three key strategies: investing in disinvested neighborhoods, strengthening Black and Latinx businesses, and increasing quality, resilient employment.

The workforce grants are intended to narrow the gaps in employment and income that persist between Chicago’s predominantly Black and Latinx communities and the city as a whole.

Research shows that median household income is between $20,000 and $40,000 lower, and unemployment rates are up to three times higher in the neighborhoods where We Rise Together is investing in workforce solutions than in Chicago overall. “A key ingredient in improving the economic outlook for Chicago’s Black and Latinx communities is increasing quality employment opportunities for residents,” said Christen Wiggins, program director, We Rise Together. “Our latest grants fund organizations to provide job training, coaching, and placement in six of the same communities where We Rise Together is also investing in new real estate developments and supporting Black and Latinx-owned businesses.”

In addition to Cara Collective, grants in this round were awarded to the following organizations:

• Austin Coming Together, $175,000: To fund the Austin Workforce Collaborative to connect Austin area workforce agencies and to provide direct services to Austin residents.
• Chicago Commons, $100,000: To fund the Pathways to Collective Impact Initiative serving Back of the Yards and Little Village that prepares working parents for jobs in the field of childcare.
• PODER, $175,000: To support the partnership between PODER and Skills for Chicagoland’s Future to provide job coaching and connections in the new PODER HQ facility in Gage Park.
• North Lawndale Employment Network, $175,000: To support the U-Turn permitted and Empower Now programs which provide career coaching and training to residents of North Lawndale with significant barriers to employment.
• Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation NFP, $100,000: To provide support for the job training and coaching services provided to Back of the Yards and Englewood residents who have significant barriers to employment.
• Teamwork Englewood, $115,000: To support the job training and coaching programs provided by Teamwork Englewood to residents of Englewood.

With this round of grants, We Rise Together has strategically invested more than $35 million since September 2021, including support for more than 30 neighborhood anchor real estate investments. Of these projects, nine have opened providing immediate impact: new activities for young people, new jobs, much-needed healthcare, childcare, recreation, healthy food, and more.

About We Rise Together

We Rise Together: For an Equitable & Just Recovery is a funders collaborative working with community members to respond to the urgent economic needs of Black and Latinx communities. Our model for community investment at scale supports coordinated, community-led commercial and economic development. Through strategic grants to community-directed real estate development projects that leverage additional investment, we are building thriving neighborhoods and a stronger Chicago. Learn more at www.wrtogether.org.

The post Cara Collective receives $160k from We Rise Together appeared first on Cara Collective.

Chicago – Cara Collective, an industry leader in workforce development, is pleased to announce it will honor Bank of America at the upcoming 8^th Annual Cara Gala on Friday, March 24, 2023. Bank of America will receive the Trailblazer Award for its longtime partnership with Cara Collective and for the company’s commitment to advancing racial equality and economic opportunity.

“Bank of America is a trailblazer because time and time again, they have demonstrated their commitment to using their influence and resources to strengthen our communities,” said Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President & CEO of Cara Collective. “Through their work, they are a partner in progress, connecting more individuals and families to affordable housing and home ownership, capital to start and grow small businesses, good jobs with living wages, and better access to healthcare. Beyond all that, they’ve also remained an integral part of our Cara Collective community for more than 15 years, including as a hiring partner to our job seekers, investing in our programs and mission, providing leadership and guidance through our Board of Directors, and beyond. We are thrilled to honor this partnership at our signature Gala.”

Previous Trailblazer recipients include Sterling Bay, Rivers Casino, JPMorgan Chase, and philanthropists Dona and Sam Scott, Pete and Amy Kadens, Jim and Kay Mabie, and Martin H. Nesbitt.

“A strong workforce pipeline can fuel economic opportunity in our local community,” said Rita Cook, President Bank of America Chicago. “We’re honored to be recognized by Cara Collective for our efforts in bringing together resources with nonprofit partners and employers, working together hand in hand to overcome barriers that lead to successful career opportunities and employment for individuals throughout Chicagoland.”

Cara graduate Dian Lang will also be recognized with the Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is given annually to a graduate who is a shining example of Cara’s work to transform lives and communities. Dian started her Cara journey in 2009 as a new mother with few options for quality employment. Today, she works for 1660 Condo Association and recently purchased a home for herself and her now-teenage son.

The Cara Gala is annually attended by more than 550 civic, philanthropic, and business leaders and raises more than $750,000 for the workforce development nonprofit. Sponsorships for the Cara Gala are available at www.caragala.org, or by contacting Tara Harper, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at tharper@carachicago.org or 312.798.3307.

About Cara Collective

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 8,100 people get placed into more than 13,400 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. To learn more, please visit www.caracollective.org.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org

Click here to download a PDF of this release.

The post Cara Collective to Honor Bank of America appeared first on Cara Collective.

In her nearly two decades of work, Harper has proven herself as a passionate and strategic non-profit leader, with a focus on advancing racial equity and social justice for communities that have been systemically disinvested in and under resourced. She joins Cara Collective from the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, where as Chief Development Officer she was responsible for both public and private revenue at the $37M Chicago-based early childhood and youth development organization. Prior to that, she served as Senior Director of Institutional Relations, Equity & Inclusion, at Children’s Home & Aid — a leading social service agency providing support for nearly 30,000 children and families throughout Illinois.

“Tara is coming to Cara Collective at a unique juncture for our organization, as we prepare to rollout a new strategic plan for our enterprise,” said Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President & CEO. “Her combination of being an EDI and development professional deepens her understanding for the challenges many of our communities experience and has provided her with the tools and knowledge necessary to creatively evolve fundraising practices. I am thrilled to have her leading our philanthropic charge as we look to our future.”

Harper earned her BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign and has completed the Diversity and Inclusion Certification Program through Cornell University. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Opportunity Knocks, an organization that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they live, work, learn, grow, and connect within their community.

About Cara Collective

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 8,000 people get placed into more than 13,000 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. Click here to learn more.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org

Click here to download a PDF of this release.

The post Tara Harper Named Cara Collective’s Chief Philanthropy Officer appeared first on Cara Collective.

Delgado is a cofounder of Delgado Rompf Bruen LLC and has been an attorney for more than 20 years. For the majority of her career, she has concentrated her practice in the area of immigration and nationality law and has substantial experience working in not-for-profit agencies. She has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer by Leading Lawyers, a distinction held by only 5% of Illinois attorneys. Civic and community engagement includes Catherine Cook School (Trustee, Board of Trustees), Consulate General of Mexico (Consulting Attorney), and Mujeres Latinas en Acción (fmr. Vice Chair, Board of Directors).

Delgado has a been a part of the Cara Collective community for nearly ten years. With her advocacy and philanthropy, she was instrumental in the development of the co-location between Cara Collective’s social enterprise Cara Connects and Northwest Center – which launched in 2018 and brought Cara’s workforce training and job placement services directly to residents of the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood. More than 150 job seekers are impacted annually through this partnership.

“We are beyond excited to welcome Marta to Cara Collective’s Board of Directors,” said Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President & CEO. “She has demonstrated not only a passion for this work and the people we serve, but a curiosity about how we can strengthen and scale this mission to reach more job seekers. So often, she has shown she is someone willing to go to the frontlines, experience firsthand the work that is being done, and see herself in our participants. She is a true friend to this work and will be a tremendous asset to this Board.”

This appointment brings Cara Collective’s Board to 19 Directors. Interim Chair Andrea O’Leary will continue her role through 2022. A complete list of Board Members can be found at http://www.caracollective.org/our-leadership.

About Cara Collective
Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 8,000 people get placed into more than 13,000 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. To learn more, click here.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org

Click here to download a PDF of this release.

The post Marta Delgado Named to Cara Collective Board of Directors appeared first on Cara Collective.

Chicago – Cara Collective, a leader in poverty alleviation, is proud to announce the release of a national study on upward mobility for frontline employees: Bridging the Advancement Gap: What Frontline Employees Want—and What Employers Think They Want. The study was led by Cara Collective’s expansion arm, Cara Plus, thanks to analysis from McKinsey & Company and with support from Walmart.

Bridging the Advancement Gap is one of the largest national studies on frontline worker upward mobility. More than 2,100 frontline employees and 300 employers of various sizes, industries, and geographies were surveyed around topics including what frontline workers care most and least about with career advancement, employer misconceptions around opportunities for mobility, and how the COVID pandemic impacted frontline worker priorities, among others.

Key findings include insights on the priorities of frontline worker advancement such as opportunity for growth and better alignment of pay and skills. The study also shows stark differences between what resources frontline employees believe are available versus what their employers report, while also offering strategic, concrete actions employers can take.

“When we started exploring how to strengthen frontline worker upward mobility, we knew we had to start with frontline workers themselves,” said Sara Wasserteil, Managing Director of Expansion & Integration at Cara Collective. “Lifting up their experiences and priorities – and juxtaposing those alongside what employers perceive is happening in the workplace – provides a starting point for how we can close the advancement gap for frontline workers, and strengthen equity when it comes to who does and doesn’t advance in the workplace.”

In addition to drawing out trends from frontline workers across diverse industries and demographics, the report also uplifts themes from populations that have historically been given limited access to economic opportunity and mobility. This includes employees without a four-year degree, those who have been justice system-involved, and those who have been impacted by homelessness or recovery. The findings will illuminate how employers can better advance into these often-untapped talent pools.

“What we found when we looked at these populations, is that they are highly motivated to advance in their careers, and yet often have fewer opportunities to get ahead,” added Wasserteil. “If employers are willing to rethink who they hire and how they invest in them, they can unlock a highly motivated workforce ready to stay and grow in their firms. For example, as evidenced by this study, individuals who have been impacted by the criminal justice system advanced at a greater rate than any other demographic – across race and gender.”

The study furthers the work of Cara Plus’ inclusive employment portfolio, which helps corporations drive actionable change to hire and cultivate talent that has been historically sidelined from economic opportunity. The work leverages parent-organization Cara Collective’s 30-year history connecting untapped talent to more than 13,000 jobs at 70% same-firm, one-year retention rates.

Bridging the Advancement Gap: What Frontline Employees Want—and What Employers Think They Want can be read in its entirety at this link.

Click here to read an executive summary.

###

About Cara Plus

As an entity of Cara Collective, Cara Plus engages companies and nonprofits across the nation to build, launch, and grow workforce solutions so that people experiencing poverty can find and keep quality employment. Since our launch, Cara Plus has worked with more than 20 companies and 50 nonprofits in 24 states to adopt and adapt our methodology and create more inclusive employment pathways around the country. To learn more, click here. 

About Cara Collective

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 8,000 people get placed into more than 13,000 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. To learn more, click here.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org

Click here to download a PDF of this release.

The post Cara Plus Releases National Career Advancement Study appeared first on Cara Collective.

Chicago – Cara Collective, a leading workforce development organization, is pleased to announce the relocation of its flagship social enterprise, Cleanslate, to Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, via the purchase of a $1-million, 11,000 square-foot building (the former 1st Response Ambulance Co. facility on W. 60th and Wentworth).

The move, effective July 1, positions the workforce social enterprise to be a major contributor to the revitalization of the South Side neighborhood. In addition to bringing its exterior maintenance services to the surrounding corridor, Cleanslate seeks to utilize its positive, proactive presence in the neighborhood to encourage more residents to access its workforce services. At present, more than 200 Englewood residents have found transitional employment on Cleanslate’s crews.

For the past 11 years, Cleanslate has operated out of a rented facility in the Pilsen neighborhood. This move accommodates the social enterprise’s continued growth by providing a larger garage, gated parking lot for its fleet of vehicles, and additional administrative office and training spaces. The new location also provides access to the CTA’s Red Line to increase Cleanslate’s ability to better reach more residents of the city’s South Side.

“We are grateful for our new home in Englewood and the opportunities it brings to scale our services and create more jobs,” said Brady Gott, Managing Director of Cleanslate. “Our first Cleanslate crew started nearly 17 years ago in Auburn Gresham, not far from our new home. Since then, we have seen thousands of people transform their lives through the power and purpose of employment. We are so proud to mark this next chapter with the residents and leaders of Englewood.”

Cleanslate annually creates over 400 transitional employment opportunities for job seekers, many of whom have some of the largest barriers to employment. Its crews have kept the streets of more than 50 communities in Chicagoland and beyond clean and safe through litter abatement, landscaping, graffiti removal, power washing, and snow removal. The social enterprise annually brings in more than $3.9 million in revenue for parent nonprofit Cara Collective.

About Cleanslate
A social enterprise of Cara Collective, Cleanslate seeks to transform the landscape of our communities and our lives. We provide what some might consider an ordinary service in an extraordinary way, so that all Chicago neighborhoods can take pride in the safety, revitalization, and vibrancy that is created through clean streetscapes serviced by motivated job seekers. Since 2005, more than 4,200 people have worked in transitional jobs created by Cleanslate – with more than 1,000 of those individuals going on to secure permanent and long-term employment. Click here to learn more.

About Cara Collective
Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 7,900 people get placed into more than 12,900 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. Click here to learn more.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org

Click here to download a PDF of this release.

The post Cleanslate Moves to Englewood Neighborhood appeared first on Cara Collective.

Chicago – Cara Collective, a leader in poverty alleviation, is pleased to announce it will honor JPMorgan Chase at the upcoming 7th Annual Cara Gala presented by Allstate on Friday, April 8, 2022. JPMorgan Chase will receive the Trailblazer Award for its longtime partnership with Cara Collective and for the company’s commitment to driving inclusive economic growth in the United States and around the world.

“JPMorgan Chase is a trailblazer because time and time again, they have demonstrated their commitment to leading the charge in closing the racial wealth gap and driving an equitable and inclusive economy,” said Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President & CEO of Cara Collective. “Their work has provided more access to homeownership, employment, entrepreneurship, and so many more opportunities that create real change in our communities. Beyond all that, they’ve also remained an integral part of Cara Collective by staying engaged at numerous levels, including as a hiring partner, a dedicated funder, a member of our Board of Directors, a strong advocate of inclusive employment, and beyond. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to honor this partnership at our signature Gala.”

Previous Trailblazer recipients include real estate company Sterling Bay, Rivers Casino, and philanthropists Dona and Sam Scott, Pete and Amy Kadens, Jim and Kay Mabie, and Martin H. Nesbitt.

Cara graduate Oreletta Garmon will also be recognized with the Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is given annually to a graduate who is a shining example of the Cara community. Oreletta first started her Cara journey in the mid-‘90s, seeking to break the cycle of addiction and homelessness for her and her children. For the past seven years, she has been employed with Rush University Medical Center, most recently as the Program Navigation Coordinator for Equal Hope, Rush’s Breast Cancer Task Force that provides free or low-cost quality access to healthcare for all women.

The 7th Annual Cara Gala also marks Cara Collective’s return to an in-person Gala for the first time in two years. The 2020 event was cancelled in the early onset of the COVID pandemic and the 2021 event pivoted to a live, virtual offering. The Cara Gala is annually attended by more than 550 civic, philanthropic, and business leaders and raises more than $600,000 for the workforce development nonprofit.

“With this event, we are marking an opportunity to gather once again in-person to uplift this vital mission, celebrate what we have achieved in more than 30 years of this work, and look to where we are going next,” added Caliento. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be able to share this evening with our community.”

In addition to Presenting Sponsor Allstate, lead sponsors for the 7th Annual Cara Gala include The Beebe Family, BMO Harris Bank, Deloitte, JLL, Molson Coors, The Owens Foundation, The Quirk Family, The Sidley Austin Foundation, Sterling Bay, and United Airlines.

Sponsorships for the Cara Gala are available at www.caracollective.org/gala, or by contacting Shikha Jain, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at sjain@carachicago.org or 312.798.3307.

About Cara Collective

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 7,900 people get placed into more than 12,900 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. To learn more, please visit www.caracollective.org.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org

Click here to download a PDF of this release.

The post Cara Collective to Honor JPMorgan Chase appeared first on Cara Collective.

Chicago – Cara Collective’s Board of Directors is honored to announce Kathleen St. Louis Caliento will assume the role of President & CEO for the Chicago-based workforce development enterprise, effective July 6, 2021.

Caliento has spent two decades committed to urban education and student success. In her outgoing role as the Chief Learning and Design Officer at the Academy Group, she has worked to help people rise above the effects of poverty, while demonstrating a professional commitment to access and equity.

Before joining the Academy Group, Caliento held several leadership positions at Spark, including Executive Director of Spark Chicago. Prior to Spark, she was Chief Program Officer for Project Exploration, Director of Program Investments for The Chicago Public Education Fund, and a teacher in New York City Public Schools.

The appointment comes as former President & CEO Maria Kim transitioned earlier this month into her new role as President of REDF, a national venture philanthropy based in California, following 15 years of service to the Cara enterprise. Caliento was selected from a national search conducted by Koya Partners. Over the course of four months, Koya vetted dozens of candidates from a multitude of industries and worked in close partnership with Cara Collective’s Board and staff to identify the best candidate.

“Kathleen’s professional experience, passion, and commitment are in direct alignment with the mission and values of Cara Collective,” said John Walden, Chair of Cara Collective’s Board of Directors. “She has worked tirelessly to help people rise above the effects of poverty, while demonstrating a professional commitment to access and equity. We are thrilled to have her at the helm of this new era for the organization.”

A published author, Caliento earned her Master of Arts in Secondary Science and her Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education from Columbia University. She earned her Bachelor of Science from State University of New York at Stony Brook. Caliento serves on the Boards of Adler University, Skender Foundation, 826CHI, and Leadership Greater Chicago LFA Board. Additionally, she attended the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago and is a Fellow of the 2020 class of Leadership Greater Chicago.

“Cara Collective has such an incredibly rich, deep history in Chicago and beyond. Since my first experience in Motivations, I have been impressed and inspired by its focus on not just helping someone find a job, but helping them find their voice and their purpose,” said Caliento. “I am excited to link arms and work alongside the incredibly committed and gifted staff and community, who are motivated and passionate about this work. I cannot wait to see where we go next as an organization.”

Caliento is joining Cara Collective at an exciting inflection point for the enterprise as they are in the midst of celebrating 30 years as a premiere workforce development provider. Further, they are poised to close the fiscal year exceeding performance and revenue targets, including placing more than 900 jobs for their participants. Additionally, Cara Collective’s three business lines remain healthy. Social enterprises Cleanslate and Cara Connects are hitting all-time highs in invoiced revenue, impact, and geographic reach, and Cara Plus is seeing an influx in registrations for their training Institutes, where employers and organizations from across the country lean on three decades of expertise and insight to help build a more inclusive economy.

About Cara Collective
Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through their four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – they engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, they’ve helped more than 7,300 people get placed into more than 11,500 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. Click here to learn more.

Download PDF of this release.

Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@caracollective.org

The post Kathleen St. Louis Caliento Named Cara Collective President & CEO appeared first on Cara Collective.