Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Yackley.
Hi Jonathan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My path to Rise Up Industries began well before I joined the organization. Early in my career, I interned at Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, where I saw how meaningful employment, community, and a sense of belonging could help people transform their lives. That experience stayed with me and shaped how I thought about business, service, and the kind of work I wanted to pursue.
I later spent about ten years in South Asia working in international business and development. During that time, I founded and operated a social enterprise serving at-risk individuals. That experience taught me that a business can be more than a source of revenue—it can create dignity, opportunity, and a pathway toward a different future.
When I returned to the United States, I joined Rise Up Industries in 2020 as Deputy Executive Director. Rise Up’s mission brought together so many parts of my own journey: social enterprise, workforce development, and a commitment to walking alongside people who have often been overlooked. I had the privilege of working closely with our founder, Joe Gilbreath, as the organization grew, and I later stepped into the role of Executive Director.
Today, Rise Up provides an 18-month, paid CNC machining apprenticeship for formerly incarcerated individuals with histories of gang involvement. We recently expanded into a much larger manufacturing facility in Southeast San Diego. We have also launched Rise Up Leadership Academy, which works with elementary and middle-school students in City Heights who are at risk of gang involvement. Together, these programs allow us to support people at two critical points—helping young people find a positive path early and helping adults build meaningful careers and successful lives after incarceration.
It has been remarkable to watch Rise Up grow, but the most meaningful part has been seeing people recognize their own value and potential. Our work is grounded in the belief that no one should be permanently defined by the worst decision they have made or the circumstances in which they grew up. With opportunity, accountability, and a community that believes in them, people can build extraordinary futures.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. I joined Rise Up in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nearly every aspect of nonprofit operations, workforce development, and manufacturing. Like many organizations, we had to adapt quickly while continuing to support people whose lives were already marked by significant uncertainty.
One of our ongoing challenges is that the very things that make our Reentry Program effective also make it expensive. We do not simply offer a short training course and send people on their way. Participants are employed full-time for 18 months while receiving CNC machining instruction, case management, counseling, mentoring, financial education, and other support. That long-term investment gives people the stability and time they need to build sustainable careers, but it requires significant and dependable funding.
Operating a manufacturing social enterprise within a nonprofit creates another layer of complexity. We have to meet the same expectations for quality, pricing, and delivery as any other machine shop while remembering that the business exists to create opportunities for people. We are constantly balancing production demands with training needs and the realities participants face as they rebuild their lives after incarceration. It is challenging, but it is also what makes the model so powerful.
Personally, I have also had to learn that leadership is not about having every answer. It is about building the right team, listening to people closest to the work, making difficult decisions, and remaining focused on the mission when progress feels slower than we would like. The struggles have been real, but they have also made Rise Up more resilient and have deepened my appreciation for the people who place their trust in us.
As you know, we’re big fans of Rise Up Industries. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Rise Up Industries is a San Diego nonprofit working to minimize gang involvement through prevention, intervention, and reentry programs. At the heart of everything we do is a simple idea reflected in our tagline: “A place to belong.” Many of the people we serve have spent much of their lives searching for belonging. We want them to experience a community where they are known, valued, challenged, and supported as they build a different future.
The results demonstrate what is possible: 100% of our Reentry Program graduates have secured full-time employment upon completing the program, and our recidivism rate is just 3%.
Our Reentry Program serves formerly incarcerated adults with histories of gang involvement through a paid, 18-month CNC machining apprenticeship. Participants work full-time while developing advanced-manufacturing skills and receiving case management, counseling, mentoring, financial education, life-skills development, tattoo removal, and other individualized support. Upon completing the program, graduates leave with recognized technical skills, substantial work experience, and a pathway into well-paying manufacturing careers.
What sets the program apart is the combination of long-term support and real employment. Our participants are not practicing in a simulated environment. They manufacture parts for paying customers in our Machine Shop Social Enterprise, where they must meet real-world standards for precision, quality, and delivery. The business generates earned revenue for the mission while giving participants the experience and confidence that come from producing work of genuine value.
We also operate Rise Up Leadership Academy, an after-school program serving students in City Heights who are at risk of gang involvement. RULA provides academic support, mentoring, recreation, enrichment activities, and a safe community. It allows us to work at both ends of the issue—helping young people build a positive sense of identity and belonging before gang involvement takes root, while supporting adults who are transforming their lives after incarceration.
I am especially proud that Rise Up is increasingly led by people who have experienced the program themselves. Graduates have gone on to successful careers in manufacturing, and several have returned to serve as supervisors, managers, and mentors for the next group of apprentices. Their leadership demonstrates that our work is not simply about providing services. It is about recognizing talent, developing leaders, and creating a community in which people who were once counted out can help others rise.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://riseupindustries.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riseup_industries/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiseUpIndustries/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/18748736/
- Twitter: https://x.com/RiseUpIn
