Today we’d like to introduce you to Regan Williams.
Hi Regan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2014, my life was forever changed when I became a foster parent, becoming aware for the first time of the crisis in Los Angeles’s child welfare system. From my lived experience, I was motivated to understand policy and advocacy, and in 2016 I became a Court Appointed Special Advocate or ‘CASA.’ In 2017-18, I launched a successful foster care campaign connecting community members, faith communities and non-profit organizations in Los Angeles. This year-long campaign sent 70 foster youth to summer camp, packed and distributed 1,000 duffel bags to DCFS offices, recruited 200 volunteers to work with foster youth, and raised over a quarter million dollars for foster related organizations throughout LA county.
In 2018 my partner Matthew and I launched Seen&Heard, an organization which seeks to develop the professional character of foster and system-impacted youth ages 16-23. Since its launch in 2019, Seen&Heard has grown in size and impact, in 2024 the organization served a total of 108 youth, and graduated 46 youth from its professional development program.
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?
If someone had told me how much work went into starting a non-profit, I don’t think I would have ever begun! Thankfully, I didn’t know what I was getting into until it was too late! Having a strong organization with a healthy staff delivering the highest quality services to youth in foster care is a group effort. I don’t do this alone! I have an amazing co-founder, an incredible staff and a board who gives their time and energy with passion. As a team, we started programming in 2019, with covid hitting shortly thereafter which necessitated a complete programmatic shift to zoom. Our curriculum was created for in-person classes, and it took us close to 6 months create a new adaptation for zoom, but even without that curriculum formally in place, we held classes during a time of deep instability and fear for disconnected youth. Some weeks, we realized it was more important to just be present and available to listen and provide comfort and encouragement for our students. The hidden blessing this struggle held was a removal of the obstacle youth in care already face: Transportation. We realized by holding some of our classes online, we were able to reach a broader audience and serve youth in remote areas of LA. This lesson taught me that there is almost always a benefit to the struggles organizations face, and to keep hope alive in the midst of setbacks.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Non-profit CEO
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a theatre kid from the start. I was always out on the playground staging shows and inviting other kids to be involved. As a firstborn female growing up in a fairly conservative environment, I didn’t realize that I was a leader for a very long time, but it was in me all along. I attended New York University and studied acting and literature, and thought I would graduate and be an actor on broadway. It didn’t take me long to realize that while I was a decent actor, my gifts were geared more towards directing and teaching. I was more interested in bringing out the best in the actors in a scene and how it was staged than actually being in the scene. This director’s mind is one I had not explored until much later as I became a parent and foster parent, as I created safety and belonging for my children. Most people have no idea how foundational and transferrable parenting skills are. In order to be the CEO, you must start as a Janitor (and be willing to go back to mopping floors from time to time!)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.seenandheard.org
- Instagram: seenandheardla
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regan-williams-22701b2b9/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/vT83bCE-vRA?si=RS8aW8Jj-9KR_T2K
Image Credits
Kristi Meneses, Alex Scott
