About This Resource

This session was part of the Winter 2024 CE Week.

Series Overview

The Strategic Growth Planning series is designed to explore the specifics of employment social enterprise growth planning, including:

• Scaling to a new geographic location
• Strengthening staffing and organizational design
• Streamlining operations, and
• Enhancing financial management capacity.

Whether you’re charting a course for expansion or seeking to refine your current growth strategies, this series provides a holistic exploration of key facets essential for organizational advancement.

To bring the learnings to life, we’re thrilled to be joined by ESE leaders and consultants with deep expertise in employment social enterprise best practices and operations.

Session Description

REDF is thrilled to bring back one of our 2023 REDF Community Retreat sessions for anyone interested in a refresh and to make this content accessible to more members of the Community. 

Join us for an encore presentation with Dan Rhoton from Hopeworks, who will revisit and expand upon his insightful workshop on ESE expansion to a new location. We will also hear from Leaundra “Lily” McCullough, a Hopeworks alum who is now a team lead at the organization. Lastly we will get updates on Hopeworks’ progress since the June 2023 Retreat.  Specifically, we’ll walk through: 

• Hopeworks’ decision making process, including the criteria they used to assess potential fit and success of their current businesses in a new market. 
• How Hopeworks’ three business lines fared against their venture criteria, including a deeper look into GIS mapping, web development services, and the youth healing team. 
• Useful frameworks for assessing critical market components.
• Essential elements of an operational plan to support your entrance into the new market, including startup needs and key hires.  

Participants will walk away with an understanding of 

1. Essential Venture Criteria for making strategic decisions in scaling new locations as well as how to adapt and apply the criteria to different contexts and challenges. 
2. Effective decision-making processes for expanding ESE locations through real-world case studies. 
3. Elements of an operational plan to support your entrance into the new market, including startup needs, key hires, and culture-building. 

Audience: This session was designed to benefit ESE leaders and decision-makers involved in strategic growth and expansion planning as well as team members who are interested in understanding the criteria and considerations for scaling ESE locations.

Below is the session recording and accompanying materials

About Hopeworks

Hopeworks provides a positive, healing atmosphere that propels young people to build strong futures and break the cycle of violence and poverty in Camden, New Jersey.

We connect young adults to life-changing opportunities where their growing technology skills go to work for enterprising businesses within our community. The real-world, on-the-job experience they gain raises their potential and benefits our partners.

With a focus on skill development, real-world job experience, and trauma-informed care, Hopeworks propels young adults into long-term living wage careers that put them on the path for healing and financial stability