Cohort 4

Participating Localities

Innovation Fund Grantees

Tiffany Lamela – Queens, NY: We are the Evidence: Building a Field-Owned Ecosystem-Informed CVI Data System

This project addresses a long-standing gap in the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) field: the absence of a unified, practitioner-owned data system that accurately captures the work and impact of violence intervention organizations. We Are the Evidence proposes a trauma-informed, mobile-accessible platform designed by and for frontline practitioners, enabling agencies to define meaningful metrics, control their own data, and document outcomes often overlooked by traditional institutions. By shifting power back to the field, the project aims to create a sustainable ecosystem where evidence truly reflects community-rooted efforts and lived expertise.

Gerardo Lopez – Denver, CO: Building Bridges for Peace

Building Bridges for Peace serves BIPOC and newcomer youth in Denver who face discrimination, isolation, and pathways into violence. The program integrates street outreach, weekly skill-building workshops, creative expression, and peer mentorship into a comprehensive nine-month model designed to enhance belonging, reduce risk factors, and build leadership capacity. By combining culturally rooted support with consistent pro-social opportunities, the project promotes resilience and empowers youth to shape safer, healthier futures for themselves and their communities.

Boye Sofidiya – Washington, DC: Empowerment Through Leadership: The Safe Passage Bridge

This project tackles rising absenteeism and disconnection among Washington, DC youth by strengthening the continuum of care between schools, families, and trusted adults. The Safe Passage Bridge trains Safe Passage Ambassadors and peer mediators to provide daily support, mentorship, and conflict prevention along students’ routes to and from school. By centering consistency, leadership development, and community-based engagement, the project aims to increase student attendance, improve safety, and foster stronger bonds between young people and their environments.

Onoyemi Williams – Birmingham, AL: Community Life Savers: Ground 1 Responders

Rural Alabama communities face severe gaps in emergency medical response, resulting in preventable deaths from violence, overdoses, and health crises. Community Life Savers introduces a scalable model that trains everyday residents to serve as “Ground 1 Responders,” equipped with trauma care skills, Narcan administration, and emergency readiness tools to stabilize victims before EMS arrives. The project seeks to strengthen rural resilience, reduce mortality, and empower community members to save lives when every second matters.