Who We Are

Empowering Communities to Prosper

For the past 30 years, we have worked with and been led by girls, women, and gender-expansive people who have experienced poverty, exploitation, and incarceration.

In 1993, we opened Young Women’s Freedom Center, creating well-paid and meaningful employment for girls from the streets. In 2017, we founded the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition to build broader community power across California. In 2021, we launched Beloved Village to provide housing solutions and economic support.

Poverty, violence, and systems-involvement are symptoms of an unjust and oppressive economy. We draw on the expertise of those who have navigated these systems to imagine a different future.

We incubate and nurture initiatives that challenge the status quo, reshape the landscape of opportunity, and pave the way for this new reality.

We identify and support visionary ideas and the brilliant minds behind them. Through our multifaceted programs, we nurture an environment where innovative concepts can evolve into impactful realities.

Invest in the Future!

At ReImagine Freedom, we are more than dreamers; we are architects of change, driven by the conviction that a better, more equitable world is not only possible but imminent. Through dedication, collaboration, and unwavering belief in the power of innovation, we are working to build an equitable and responsible economy.

Founder Story

In 1996, Jessica Nowlan was hired by Young Women’s Freedom Center out of Juvenile Hall. Her experiences at the organization transformed her life.

Jessica became a social entrepreneur, and in 2015, she returned to YWFC as the Executive Director to keep its doors from closing. As Executive Director, Jessica grew the team from 3 to 75 people, opened 5 more centers across California, and increased the budget from $500k to $10 million to launch Sister Warriors and Beloved Village.

From her personal and professional experiences, Jessica knows what it takes to realize ReImagine Freedom’s vision.