2024 Annual Report

Dear StreetWise Supporters, Partners, and Friends,

I am excited to present to you our 2024 Annual Report, a testament to the collective impact we have made and the strides we continue to take in driving career mobility. Our accomplishments are a result of the unwavering dedication of our team, the generosity of our supporters, and the collaborative spirit of our partners. We continue to provide the highest level of mentorship and training for our job seekers.

Highlights from the Past Year:

Impactful Programs: StreetWise served 500 individuals through our programs and workshops.
Community Engagement: We deepened our roots within the community through 40 community and city college partnerships
Financial Stewardship: Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the responsible management of resources, we continued to operate with financial transparency and accountability. Our commitment to fiscal responsibility is reflected in our financial overview
Innovations in Service Delivery: We revamped our curriculum to include AI literacy and expanded our Talent Services offerings, actively placing 200 graduates in jobs.
Building Partnerships: Collaboration has been at the heart of our success. Our partnerships have enabled us to amplify our impact and reach new heights.

The launch of our Northstar:

While we celebrate our achievements, we also recognize that our work is far from over. It's time to do more. In 2024 we launched our 10 year Northstar:

By 2035, our goal is to build and activate a dynamic ecosystem of job seekers, volunteers, employers, and community organizations who together, launch career pathways for 20,000 adults from underserved communities.

This is an ambitious goal that we can achieve together, as a strong community.

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to our dedicated team, passionate volunteers, supportive board members, and, most importantly, to you—our valued supporters. Your belief in our mission, your contributions, and your commitment to making a difference have been the driving force behind our success.

Together, we are not just shaping a better future; we are living it. Thank you for being an integral part of the StreetWise Partners family.

Wishing you a year filled with hope, compassion, and continued impact.

Sincerely,

SHARI KRULL
Chief Executive Officer
StreetWise Partners

HSBC Involve CEO Award – Two Consecutive Years

In January 2024, StreetWise Partners was awarded the HSBC Involve CEO Award, from Corporate Sustainability in recognition of StreetWise’s strong leadership and volunteer engagement program. Over a 5 year partnership, more than 200 HSBC volunteers have impacted the professional development of 377 job seekers through our signature events as well as specialized workshops and coffee chats. Focal topics of the events included the complexities of global banking, difficult interview questions, and preparing for technical interviews. We are inspired by the continued impact and depth of the HSBC partnership.

Program Impact Statistics

As we continued to grow and adapt to the changing workforce, we demonstrated continuously strong impact on the communities we serve.

In 2024 our outcomes included:

That’s not just progress. That’s transformation—life-changing for them, and for their families.

Expanded Talent Services and AI Literacy

According to Harvard's Project on Workforce, the current wave of technological change is advancing at an unprecedented pace and magnitude. As new technologies emerge, employers are rapidly revising their skill requirements, with many executives predicting that half of today’s workforce skills will become obsolete within just two years. Meanwhile, postsecondary institutions often struggle to keep up, resulting in a growing disconnect between the skills students acquire in the classroom and those that employers actually need.

In 2024 StreetWise was laser-focused on providing the tools, access and experience needed to confidently navigate career pathways, many of which are being reimagined. Emphasizing core competencies such as collaboration, critical thinking, and communication—skills that typically outlast the technical ones—equips our graduates with skills that can endure ongoing technological shifts. These “human skills” are especially vital in the era of generative AI.

With the biggest crowd of more than 400 people in our 27-year history, the StreetWise Annual Partnership Breakfast in 2024 was an incredible success! Investments in mentorship from our sponsors and donors totaled more than $425,000, which go directly to our mission programming to transform the lives of 500 individuals each year.

We featured three alumni who shared their powerful stories of growth and transformation through the StreetWise Bridge program. Stephanie, Muhahammed and Marienela all came from different backgrounds and countries as first-generation college students and people with drive and ambition, yet not equipped with the skills, networks or resources for the professional landscape and career development in the U.S. StreetWise transformed their lives through opportunities, mentoring and coaching and access to opportunities.

“I came to StreetWise feeling lost. I was determined enough, I had the fight in me, I just didn’t know what to do with it. I needed direction. My mentor really did listen to me, and I felt her investment and care about helping me carve this path to the future.” said Marianela. “StreetWise really did open up a world of possibilities for me. "

We recognized two incredible partners and sponsors, Mizuho Americas and Symphony for their commitment to engaging their employees as volunteers, hiring StreetWise alumni, and providing critical funding to fuel the StreetWise Partners mission. Mizuho Americas received the Partnership Award and their 115 volunteers have donated more than 304 volunteer hours and impacted the lives of 350 StreetWise mentees and job seekers. Symphony received the Champion Award, in their first year as a partner with us. They donated more than 50 volunteer hours, impacting the lives of at least 70 StreetWise mentees and job seekers through workshops, coaching sessions, dedicated focus groups, coffee chats and mock interviews.

Annual Partnership Breakfast

View the Event Gallery

We Expanded The Team

In 2024, we expanded our team to support and reinforce the areas of our strategic plan needing additional capacity and investment to drive growth. We grew our Fundraising, Talent Services and Program teams, and added a new member to our Board of Directors.

New Hires in 2024

Director of People and Community
Meet Dee Dee: Dee Dee (she/her/hers) is a southern native but enjoys the adventure and excitement of living in the DMV. Her professional background includes customer service, recruiting, and human resource management. These experiences help Dee Dee to understand multiple sides of the business including operations. She specializes in interpersonal relations, problem-solving, and process optimization.
Dee Dee is a proud first-generation graduate of Colorado Technical University. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration majoring in Human Resource Management. She spent five years as an HR volunteer for her church leading career services initiatives, including interview preparation, resume writing, and networking.
Dee Dee is committed to making a positive impact on the community and passionate about mentoring others, particularly underrepresented individuals seeking career services. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her three boys, learning new skills, visiting the beach, and cooking.

Volunteer Services Manager
Meet Camille: Camille (she/her/hers) joined StreetWise Partners DC location in February 2024. Originally from Miami, Florida, Camille came to the DC region to attend Howard University and found her love for Workforce Development and Career Development. Realizing there are many ways for people to become successful. Camille has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years working with various populations to include re-entry, Welfare to work, Dislocated Workers and Young Adults. Camille approaches everything with a positive demeanor and creatively thinks outside the box to get things done. She has obtained her Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) certificate and is trained in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). In her free time, Camille enjoys traveling, spending time with her husband and engaging in DIY projects around the house.

Manager of Employer Partnerships
Meet Yiechia: Yiechia Warren (she/her/hers) joined Streetwise Partners in April 2024 after a varied career across college access, admissions counseling, and talent acquisition with recruiting across several professional service industries. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Texas A&M University. Her background as a first-generation college graduate and passion for giving back to others led her to discover Streetwise Partners at a pivotal time in her personal and professional life. The opportunity to pivot back into the nonprofit world and to join a mission-driven organization was the burst of energy and excitement she was looking for.
Having spent her youth growing up abroad, her exposure to different cultures, people and environments helped to mold her into an empathetic, progressive and open-minded individual that has strived for equality for all. She is excited to bring this passion and energy into her daily work at Streetwise Partners in helping participants reach their dreams and full potential. In her free time, Yiechia enjoys traveling, going to concerts, reading and listening to podcasts.

Client Services Manager
Meet Dwayne: Dwayne King (he/him/his) joined Streetwise Partners on June 4th, 2024. He started his career in the Higher Education arena and has worked in a variety of roles for over 12 plus years where he impacted the lives of hundreds of students. He later transitioned into the Workforce Development arena where he helped to build and maintain lasting relationships with Government agencies, Non-Profits and Community Based organizations, Colleges/Universities and Private Sector organizations. He also recruited and qualified numerous candidates for Occupational Skills Training, Work Experience and On-the-job training programs for roughly 6 years.
Dwayne considers himself to be an advocate for changing lives, and firmly believes in the saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. Dwayne also enjoys spending time with family, outdoor activities, traveling, working in his yard and completing DIY projects.
Dwayne is very excited to be on the Streetwise Partners team and looks forward to contributing to the continued growth of the organization.

Corporate Engagement Manager
Meet Breana: Breana Lockett (she/her/hers) joined StreetWise Partners in November 2024 as a Corporate Engagement Manager for the DC region. Her background of being raised and educated in multicultural environments inspired Breana’s passion for creating and nurturing a world where our differences are our greatest strengths. Her commitment to leading with compassion, seeking to understand, and dedication to impactful change has resulted in nearly 10 years of successfully cultivating community and connection in both the corporate and nonprofit sector. As a purpose-driven professional, Breana is honored to join a mission-driven organization like StreetWise Partners and is eager to utilize her prowess for building meaningful and impactful connections to expand the impact in the DC region. In her free time, Breana enjoys baking, reading, watching live music, and practicing and teaching yoga.

New Board Member

Moody’s Investors Service
Meet Keith: Keith Banhazl is a Managing Director and Head of Commercial Real Estate Finance for Americas within the Structured Finance Group and leads the team responsible for CMBS & CRE CLO new ratings and surveillance at Moody’s Investors Service. The team is responsible for reviewing Conduit/Fusion, Large Loan/Single Borrower, Agency CMBS, Credit Tenant Lease, Small Balance Commercial, CRE CLO, CRE CDO and other structured products at Moody’s Investors Service. In his role, Keith also coordinates the Commercial Real Estate cross group initiatives and liaises with CFG, FIG, PFG and CSS teams. Additionally, he is Moody’s Global Structured Finance Outreach Coordinator. He has been involved in various research initiatives and outreach activities related to the CRE securitization space, publishing and speaking on Moody’s behalf. Prior to being appointed to his current position, Mr. Banhazl was a Managing Director within the Structured Finance Group leading the US CRE Surveillance team and the review of primary US CRE CLO/CDO transactions. Keith also serves as a mentor within the Women’s BRG and the Pan-Asian Impact BRG at Moody’s. In addition to his work at Moody’s, Keith is actively involved in other organizations, serving as a Board Member at Turning Point Brooklyn (Brooklyn Community Services). Keith has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University in Economics and History.

New Corporate Partners

In 2024, StreetWise Partners proudly welcomed new corporate partners Aminad and Arcesium to our growing community, joining long-standing collaborators like Global Atlantic, Blackstone, Piper Sandler and Fitch Group. Together, these partnerships fueled over $1 million in annual investments, engaged 500+ volunteers, and helped more than 200 job seekers launch meaningful careers. Through mentorship, hiring, and hands-on events, our partners are not only transforming lives—they’re building stronger workplaces. We’re deeply grateful for their commitment to driving career mobility and creating lasting impact.

Return to in-person Graduations

A wonderful milestone for the year was a return to in-person graduations for our program mentees. After three long years in virtual or hybrid scenarios, it was a joy and delight for staff and program clients alike to get together in person to celebrate the achievement of program completion! Awards, interaction, networking and connection made the events so much fun!

Moving Stories of Success

Stephanie grew up in Brazil in a low-income family and was the first to learn English, the first to move to the US, and the first to attend college. She graduated from the StreetWise Bridge program and now is a project coordinator with a communications degree and a certification in project management.

Stephanie, Alumnus

Marianela, Alumnus

Marianela came to the U.S. from Puerto Rico as a child. During her young adulthood, she felt defeated by a series of setbacks: a clerical error on a school scholarship, living alone on public assistance, struggling to make ends meet. She could pay rent but sacrificed buying groceries. She eventually found StreetWise and everything began to change for the better. Today she is the direct mail marketing manager at SingleCare.

Melanie, Alumnus

Melanie, a Haitian American from Brooklyn found StreetWise during her freshman year at Baruch College. Melanie worked with a mentor to hone critical skills like building her resume, preparing for interviews, and networking. She also had the opportunity to research various fields. she became a recruitment specialist at Credit Suisse. She then got her Master’s Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations and has since worked as an HR Business Partner at JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and now Google. “StreetWise helped build the foundation for me to be where I am now,” says Melanie. “I highly recommend individuals do the structured program of StreetWise because there is so much to gain from having a mentor.”

Raising the Ante Poker Tournament

Our 15th Annual Poker Tournament raised a record of $810,000 as 500 people gathered at City Winery New York for a high-stakes evening of cards, camaraderie, and community impact.

Mark Roman, our Grand Prize winner, landed a trip to the World Poker Tour Championship in Las Vegas. Congratulations to the remaining top 5 finishers— Todd Greenbarg, Barry Reichgott, Alex Randi, and Sara Casey.

Our co-chairs, Brian Beideman, Brian Foster, the Poker Committee, and the StreetWise Board of Directors gathered their community not only for the thrill of the game but to support a shared mission. In the end, the real jackpot was the generous support raised to drive lasting impact.

View the Event Gallery

Financial Overview and Wrap Up

As per our FY24 audit, StreetWise maintained a healthy cash balance throughout the year and maintained a Board Reserve Fund to support future program innovation and long-term sustainability.

Released from prior year restrictions 1,121,598

We Launched a new Northstar

As the labor market continues to shift, it has become clear that the US workforce does not have enough workers and skilled candidates to fill an ever-increasing number of high-skill jobs. A job is the #1 way to change someone's financial stability.

That’s where StreetWise comes in.

For 27 years, StreetWise has served as one of the only workforce development mentoring programs for adults in the country. Last year, we formalized and launched a vision for exactly what we want to achieve in the future. We identified an ambitious goal to heighten our impact and reach.

Please join us in this vision for the future! Whether it’s as a corporate sponsor, a donor or a volunteer with us, your support will help drive our impact and achieve the Northstar!

Board of Directors

Our Valued Donors