About US

We inspire today for an empowered youth tomorrow

Who We Are?

The iRise Foundation was founded by Ms. Sherrie Smith in 2023. iRise Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering adolescents and young adults by providing mentorship, prevention, intervention, and leadership programs. We are committed to equipping youth with the skills necessary for independent living, career readiness, and emotional well-being. Our focus is on serving second-chance youth, including those in the foster care system, aging out of care, or transitioning from incarceration, youth shelters, and other challenging life circumstances.

Our Mission

The mission of the iRise Foundation is to empower youth and young adults aged 10–25 through culturally relevant, trauma-informed mental health services, leadership development, life coaching, and mentorship. The agency is committed to breaking generational cycles of poverty, violence, and incarceration by equipping youth with the tools, relationships, and support necessary to thrive personally, academically, and professionally.

Our Values

Empowerment: We believe in giving youth the tools and confidence to shape their own futures.
Integrity : We operate with honesty, transparency, and a commitment to doing what is right.
Resilience : We inspire perseverance and self-growth in the face of challenges.
Advocacy : We stand for the needs and rights of young people, ensuring they receive the resources and support necessary to thrive.
Community : We foster a culture of support, collaboration, and meaningful relationships that uplift and inspire.

Our Founder

Sherrie Smith, the founder of iRise Foundation, is a dedicated leader with a deep passion for youth development, mentorship, and social change. With extensive experience in education, social services, and the juvenile justice system, Sherrie has spent years facilitating youth workshops, career readiness programs, and leadership initiatives. She has worked with diverse populations, including foster youth, incarcerated youth, and at-risk adolescents, ensuring they receive the guidance and resources needed to transition into adulthood successfully.

Sherrie’s expertise in program development, community engagement, and advocacy allows her to create impactful opportunities that inspire young people to rise above their circumstances. Her commitment to mentorship, leadership, and mental health awareness drives the foundation’s mission, ensuring that every youth she serves gains the confidence, knowledge, and support to build a positive and successful future.

At iRise Foundation, we believe that every young person has the potential to rise. With the right support, mentorship, and opportunities, they can overcome obstacles, discover their strengths, and achieve their dreams.

iRise Testimonials

@coach_sherrie For years I've watched my cousin work effortlessly to invest in the community and have a major impact on the youth. It's no easy task but she's taken on the job with grace and humility. She's mad an impact on so many lives through her giving, youth support and her ethos of care for man kind.

@coach_sherrie sets the bar for what a woman who is dedicated to improving her community should be doing. She also is a excellent role model to her children who mirror her hard work and dedication. It's a pleasure to know her.

@coach_sherrie Deserves this not only for what she has done for me but for what she has offered the community with her dedication towards the youth of our community! Offering fundraisers and opportunities for the less fortunate while also pushing the fortunate forward! THE MOST monumental person in my community so I HAVE to vouch!

@coach_sherrie This is an amazing woman full of his work she has a heart of gold and you can see it through her work in her community her labor of love to help others is endless

@coach_sherrie She does so much for the community and is always working hard to make positive change in the community while also instilling accountability, integrity, perseverance, diligence, and many other values into youth while uplifting them and being the push they need or the supportive figure they need. She has her own mental health/behavioral non profit as well and really is purely dedicated to helping people become their better selves and uplifting others spirits in the process.

If the world could be a better place we need woman like @coach_sherrie a woman fully of unexpected kindness. A woman who care about the future leaders, a woman who cares about humanity and a woman who stands for the well-being of other. And this is the type of woman we all need to lear from. I would like to nominate her as she is changing lives even expanding her kindness to Africa