About Us

We offer the support we once needed—helping system-impacted youth and their families break through intergenerational barriers and discover new power, purpose, and possibility.

Paul Bocanegra is a survivor of the school-to-prison pipeline. At the age 17, he was tried as an adult and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for a crime he did not commit. After the passage of SB9 and spending 25 years in prison, Paul was released from prison. Paul is committed to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, mentoring young people, and bringing communities together to heal and repair harm.

Ms. Johanna is the mother of a formerly incarcerated child who has dedicated her life to dismantling the pipeline to prison. She tirelessly advocates for system-impacted youth and families, connecting them with the support and resources needed to pursue lives of dignity, purpose, and stability.

Both serve as Commissioners on the San Mateo County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission and are engaged in systems-level advocacy to drive meaningful policy change.

We launched this effort to fill critical service gaps impacting youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems—breaking cycles of harm through transformational interventions.

Our mission is supported by a dedicated team of trusted community members who generously give their time and talents, sharing our unwavering belief in the potential of every youth and family we serve.