Topeka K. Sam is the founder and CEO of The Ladies of Hope Ministries (LOHM), which works to end the crisis of poverty and the incarceration of women and girls. LOHM offers safe housing, reentry support and advocacy programs grounded in the insights and ideas of people with direct/lived experience with the criminal justice system. LOHM’s mission is to empower women and girls who have been impacted by the criminal legal system to create sustainable lives post-incarceration. It does so by connecting them to support systems, including housing, food, healthcare, living wage-supporting employment, entrepreneurial opportunities, education and advocacy training.

Topeka’s work is informed by her own experience with incarceration, re-entry and the challenges faced by women of color when attempting to (re)start their careers. This grant provides support for the visionary leadership of Topeka K. Sam as she builds LOHM’s strategy for scale, success and sustainability in the years ahead.