Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to ELISEAH WILLIAMS DIXON. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

ELISEAH, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

At Hand N Hand Outreach, our mission is deeply personal: to restore dignity, rebuild lives, and offer a real second chance to formerly incarcerated individuals. But to truly understand our mission, you have to understand our story.

I’m Dr. Eliseah Williams Dixon, CEO of Hand N Hand Outreach and the proud daughter of its founder. This organization was born from both passion and pain—my mother built it to create pathways for people society often overlooks. I inherited her mission, not just as her daughter, but as a woman who witnessed firsthand how systems can fail people who are trying to do better.

When she passed away, I didn’t just lose my mother—I inherited a calling. I expanded this organization from a small effort into a multimillion-dollar movement that has helped over a thousand individuals transition successfully back into society. Every program we design, every bed we provide, and every life we touch is a continuation of her legacy—and a testament to my own belief that no one is defined by their past.

Hand N Hand Outreach isn’t just a nonprofit—it’s a reflection of my heart, my family, and my community. It’s meaningful because I’ve lived it. I’ve sat at the tables where people are denied housing and hope. I’ve stood in courtrooms and fought for justice. I’ve opened the doors to homes that didn’t exist until we built them. That’s why our mission is more than words—it’s my purpose.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Dr. Eliseah Williams Dixon, and I’m the CEO of Hand N Hand Outreach, a nonprofit organization committed to reintegrating formerly incarcerated individuals back into society with dignity, structure, and support. I’m also a military veteran, licensed cosmetologist, patented inventor, business owner, and mother. But at my core, I’m someone who believes in second chances and breaking generational cycles.

Hand N Hand Outreach was founded by my mother with a simple but powerful mission—to give people a real opportunity to restart their lives after incarceration. After she passed, I made it my personal mission to carry that torch and expand her vision. What started as a small, community-based effort is now a multimillion-dollar nonprofit that has successfully helped over 1,000 individuals transition back into society.

I didn’t just get into this work—I was born into it. I grew up watching my mother serve our community with unwavering compassion. When I inherited her organization, I combined that compassion with my background in business, innovation, and real estate development to scale our impact and reach more people.

At Hand N Hand Outreach, we provide transitional housing, life skills training, financial literacy courses, business credit education, job readiness support, and mentorship programs. We house individuals who are often ignored by society—people who need stability, structure, and someone to believe in them. Our programs don’t just place people in beds; they place them on a path to independence, employment, and generational success.

What sets us apart is that we’re not just a shelter—we’re a movement. We operate with empathy, efficiency, and entrepreneurial spirit. Every home we open, every client we serve, and every policy we challenge is rooted in real-life experience, strategic planning, and heart. I bring my military discipline, academic background, and lived experience to the table, making sure every program we run is intentional, impactful, and sustainable.

In addition to our nonprofit work, I also run several businesses, including Liseables, a patented disposable makeup kit, and Transitional House Blueprint, a digital course teaching others how to launch successful reentry programs. Through these ventures, I empower others—especially women and justice-impacted individuals—to create wealth, build legacy, and change lives.

What I’m most proud of is the generational impact we’re creating. My children are watching me build something that matters. The people we serve are becoming leaders, business owners, and role models. We’re not just helping people survive—we’re helping them thrive.

To anyone learning about me or Hand N Hand for the first time, here’s what I want you to know: we are proof that purpose and profit can coexist. We are proof that people can change. And we are proof that with the right support, the most forgotten individuals can become the most powerful forces for change.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

What showed resilience in my situation was choosing to lead Hand N Hand Outreach after losing my mother—the founder and heartbeat of the organization. Her passing could’ve marked the end of the mission, but instead, I made it the beginning of a bigger legacy. I was grieving while raising a family, managing multiple businesses, and navigating the demands of leadership. Yet, I didn’t let loss break me—I let it build me.

I took a grassroots nonprofit and transformed it into a multimillion-dollar organization that has helped over 1,000 people successfully reenter society. That took grit, vision, and an unshakable commitment to our mission. I dealt with flooded properties, state funding delays, zoning battles, and the emotional weight of seeing clients return to prison—not because the system helped them fail, but because the system failed them.

Resilience showed up in every grant application I fought for, every building I restored, every program I created from scratch. It showed up when I turned pain into purpose, and trauma into testimony. I didn’t just rebuild the organization—I rebuilt my life, and helped others do the same.

Resilience, for me, isn’t about never falling. It’s about getting up every time—with more fire, more focus, and more faith.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When my mother passed away, I didn’t just lose my mom—I lost access to her contract, her connections, and everything she had built under her name. I thought I could just step in and continue the work through her foundation, but I quickly found out that legally and structurally, I had to start from the ground up.

It hit me hard.

Here I was, with a vision, a purpose, and people depending on me—but without a contract, without funding, and without the structure to keep things moving. I couldn’t use my mother’s name, her nonprofit standing, or her agreements. I had to pivot. Fast.

So I did what I’ve always done—I figured it out.

I started by forming my own LLCs. Then I got to work on building business credit from zero. I studied the system, repaired my personal credit, and used my knowledge to establish strong vendor accounts, secure a DUNS number, and build my company profile. I applied for contracts myself, built relationships from scratch, and learned how to pitch my services so that I could be taken seriously.

It wasn’t easy. I was denied more times than I can count. I was told I was too new, too young, too ambitious. But I kept going.

I invested in myself—mentally, financially, spiritually. I turned rejection into redirection. Eventually, I started landing contracts under my name. I bought property. I expanded our services. And I began teaching others how to do the same—how to build business credit, how to structure their companies, and how to secure their own contracts without depending on anyone else’s legacy.

The pivot wasn’t just about business—it was about becoming my own name, my own brand, and my own force.

And now? I’m proud to say that everything I’m building is in my name—Dr. Eliseah Williams Dixon. And I did it from scratch—with no shortcuts and no handouts. Just faith, strategy, and an unshakable belief that I was born to build.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.handnhandoutreachnfp.com
• Instagram: eliseahdixon
• Facebook: Dr- Eliseah Williams- Dixon
• Linkedin: Eliseah Williams Dixon
• Other: https://www.liseables.com

Image Credits

These were all taken by phone. Thank you-