We were lucky to catch up with Lisa Cobb recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I was raised in Montreal, Canada however I was drawn from a young age to move to the big apple. After graduating college and working a couple of years in my home town, the opportunity presented itself to live with my best friend and her mother in Queens, NY. It was in the financial capital of the world that my unconventional 20 year career began in the financial services industry. I worked for Bloomberg in Manhattan, selling the “terminal” that connects financial professionals to data, news, analytics, and people. A few years later, my friend Russ, a former Bloomberg employee, recruited me to originate mortgages in New Jersey. After spending several years originating residential and commercial mortgages, I moved to sunny Florida where my son was born and I entered the world of banking. Although I had taken several risks in my career and in geographical shifts, the biggest risk of my life took place after a painful divorce. During a time of introspection and brokenness, I met my husband who happens to be a pastor. It was through a process of discovering my personal relationship with God, that I discovered my purpose. The best most fulfilling risk I have ever taken was abandoning empty ambition for purpose-filled servanthood to others. Although I work harder for less pay, I love what I do in the nonprofit space and in ministry. My passion lies in seeing youth and women not just survive but thrive.

Lisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Youth Empowered to Prosper is a grass roots organization that was started in 2018 by Craig Cobb, a local pastor in Palm Beach County and his wife, Lisa. The Cobb’s started the organization when several homeless youth from the Lewis Center shelter started attending City of Faith church. Many of the teens and young adults had heart wrenching stories of trauma…we had to do something! In 2017, our congregation began to pool resources to shelter some of these youth and provided monies to secure apartment rentals and help with basic needs. The idea to disciple the youth was a natural progression that formed into a community-based mentoring program. Given the need we identified in our church and in our community, we decided to form a separate nonprofit called Youth Empowered to Prosper in 2018. Our first formal relationship began with a Title One school in Palm Beach County in August of 2019. A title I school provides additional resources to schools with economically disadvantaged students. During this upcoming school year, Young Women Who Win is in five schools and YEP has formed a relationship with various foster care agencies to serve children in this space as well. Through mentorship and leadership development, our youth are better equipped with coping mechanisms, problem-solving skills, and self-awareness. These mentoring relationships transform the mindsets of our youth from at-risk behaviors to becoming motivated leaders in the community.

Our one-to-one school-based mentoring program in Palm Beach County is delivered to Title One middle and high schools. Our main differentiator is twofold: we do not set criteria to serve the girls we work with and we place an emphasis on mental health. If a school administrator determines that a teen needs additional support, it can range from high school absenteeism, to losing a parent, to suffering with trauma, to struggling academically, etc., having an adult who is truly present in a girl’s life experience, changes two lives. Mentors and mentees alike create bonds for life. We train every mentor with an evidence-based program called Seeking Safety that covers 25 teen-centric topics and equips our volunteers to navigate difficult conversations with their mentee.

As such a nimble organization, we are most proud of winning the 2022 small nonprofit of the year ‘Hats Off’ award. In 2022, the Board elected the first teen to the Board so that she can advocate and represent those we serve. We also completely rebranded our mission, vision, color palette, and tag line last year and we just launched our new website in June 2023.

We just held our first summer camp civic engagement project with youth ranging from ages 11-19. This action-packed week was an opportunity for youth to learn about the various levels of government, types of elections, campaigns, advocacy, and conduct a mock city council meeting. This cohort of young people had an opportunity to meet representatives at the municipal/county (mayors, commissioners, school board member, judges), state (senators), and even federal level (congresswoman). The students had a field trip that included a tour of the Clerk of Courts, the PBC History Museum, and a tour of the City of West Palm Beach that included meeting commissioners and a tour of the library. The students absolutely loved learning about civics in this very real, hands-on way.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When my husband and I introduced the nonprofit YEP to our community, we quickly realized that we had to introduce ourselves to people in government in various municipalities, foundations, other nonprofits, and collective impact organizations. A big part of building our reputation was just showing up, listening, and caring. We also had to present the ‘why’ we came to exist which speaks to our heart in the matter. The how we came to be came once the why was established.

Our why was a need that a young lady presented in our church. Mary was struggling financially and emotionally, and she was alone. When she expressed that she was sleeping in her car, we came together with a few church members, pooled our resources, and helped her secure an apartment. It was then that we started to realize how great the problem of homelessness was among young people. Many youth from the shelter started to visit our church. We started a mentoring program for both men and women to help with basic needs and to encourage them through the extreme trials and tribulations of life. We self-funded the organization for several years before securing funding with the United Way of Palm Beach County. And the rest, as they say, is history.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Having spent most of my professional life in Corporate America created a certain mental real estate that had a lot of qualities however I had to pivot as I entered the nonprofit world of doing good for others. My mindset had to shift from a ‘dog eat dog’ corporate, competitive, all about the bottom-line environment, to a place where the mission of the organization truly matters. Impact is still measured but it shifts from zeros and cents to how lives are impacted. I appreciate the knowledge and skills that I’ve acquired in my corporate life to inspire, educate, equip, and empower the next generation. Pivoting to servant leadership has allowed me to tap into my passion to change lives for the better!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ye2p.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Yepfl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YepFL
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/69094045/admin/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/yep_fl
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@youthempoweredtoprosper6874