Lee Chernotsky: Organizations like ours need to exist, both to support the apprentices with their on-the-job learning, but even more importantly to promote working with diverse abilities. To be able to work in partnership with incredible companies at every level of organizations. 

ROSIES is a nonprofit organization that was founded by myself and Jeffrey Sobrato to create the solutions we all need with our collective diverse abilities. We do this through social enterprise and on-the-job learning.

We operate two core programs here at ROSIES. One is called HiREd or “Higher Ed,” depending on your perspective. This is accessible continuing education. We provide on-the-job training for apprentices through our social enterprise.

The other core program, POP! By ROSIES, is where we get to work with incredible community partners like The Shay hotel and Ting.

That's kind of our formula for POP! When we get three people or organizations together, it kind of takes some of that pressure off of one person just helping another. It should be a crew. People should be collaborating, working together. And when you can build a powerful crew who's driven by purpose, and the opportunity can make financial sense, why aren't we doing these things? The need is always going to be there, so let's work together to get the people that are looking for work and the people that are looking to hire.

We're that middle ground. That's why organizations like this are so important to connect people with the right opportunities for everyone involved. And I'm very grateful to get to spend my time here at ROSIES building relationships, both with our crew and the creative community that includes being Friends of Ting, which connects us to the world and helps us really grow our impact and our mission.