After 40 years of facilitating life-changing employment experiences, a dedicated group of young professionals within the network of Santa Monica-based Chrysalis is starting the push for the decades to come.
On Saturday, the Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC) of the Chrysalis nonprofit hosted its inaugural Cheers to Changing Lives cocktail party at Expert Dojo, eclipsing a $40,000 fundraising goal by bringing in $50,195 for the organization. The YPAC was founded in 2019 with a primary goal of building the next generation of advocates and donors for Chrysalis, which is dedicated to serving individuals navigating barriers to workforce entry to find and retain employment.
The first larger-scale event put on by YPAC, the night was an entertainment extravaganza with live music and a DJ, appetizers and hors d’oeuvres for food, as well as alcohol provided by corporate partners like Boomtown Brewery. Much of the fundraising also came through a silent auction with prizes like gift certificates from Shutters on the Beach, Hotel Casa Del Mar and Fairmont Century Plaza’s signature restaurant Lumiere Brasserie.
“In many ways, Cheers to Changing Lives is a nod to the future and the important work that will be done by organizations like Chrysalis,” Chrysalis President and CEO Mark Loranger said. “The event [took place] because the next generation of our business and philanthropic community is stepping into leadership roles, and they are passionate about supporting positive change.”
In its first five years, the YPAC has built a young professional membership base from Fortune 100 companies, hailing from industries ranging from venture capital and real estate to entertainment and technology. After a successful 2023, YPAC set ambitious goals for Chrysalis’ 40th anniversary, shifting strategic focus onto special events like Cheers to Changing Lives.
“It all came about a couple months ago, and we thought we’d give it a try and just kind of see how a larger-scale, slightly more elevated event works for our demographic and our community, and we’re really thrilled with the support that we’ve had so far, both from individuals looking to join and from corporate sponsorship that we’ve been able to garner as well,” said YPAC Membership Lead Shannon Ryan.
Ryan added that the YPAC professionals have a “shared value of really caring about our community” and are an instrumental part of Chrysalis’ continued success. The nonprofit partners with locals who are faced with homelessness, impacted by the criminal justice system and others disconnected from the workforce to provide supportive programs and paid transitional employment. Chrysalis employment specialists meet with individuals to assess career and job options, while connecting them to resources that aid in barriers to employment such as housing.
Along with this connection, which also includes services like resume preparation and practice interviews, Chrysalis provides transitional employment through its “Employment Social Enterprise,” broken into four distinct categories. Chrysalis Staffing connects clients to employers across Southern California who are looking for temporary workers in areas like street cleaning services, while Chrysalis Works has street maintenance contracts with a number of Los Angeles business improvement districts.
The other two “pillars” of the enterprise are more recent additions, with Chrysalis Roads launched in 2016 through a partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Reentry and the California Department of Transportation, employing clients in freeway maintenance jobs. Spun off into its own line in 2021, Chrysalis Safekeeping provides clients with housekeeping work in various settings. Together, these four areas are crucial steps for clients seeking career maneuverability, with 1,859 clients earning $17.2 million in wages last year.
“[This is] super key because we realize that for some individuals, they may need to grow their resume, and working a transitional job with us is exactly [the] secure safe space where they can do that and earn a paycheck at the same time,” Chrysalis Director of Donor Engagement and Communications Mallory Loring said.
This breadth of services was a worthy cause to join for YPAC members, such as Communications Lead Anam Faruqi, who was excited to aid in event planning and branding for Cheers to Changing Lives.
“There’s a lot of issues facing our world and it’s great to at least be able to help with some of them, and I’m just grateful that Chrysalis gives us the platform to do that,” Faruqi said.
For more information on YPAC and Chrysalis, visit changelives.org
