Hopeworks GIS Team Receives Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award at Annual Esri User Conference

Camden, NJ – July 14, 2022 – The GIS team of Hopeworks, a nonprofit and social enterprise dedicated to providing a positive and healing environment that propels young people to build strong futures, was presented with the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award. Jack Dangermond, president and founder of Esri, announced the SAG Award recipients during the Plenary Session on July 11, 2022, at the Esri User Conference in San Diego. Hopeworks was one of the organizations that stood out from over 100,000 others around the world to win this award for their outstanding work using GIS technology.

The Hopeworks GIS team provides critical GIS mapping and data management services to improve organizational efficiency, deploy valuable resources, and enable data-driven decisions. GIS is one of Hopeworks’ growing social enterprises that provides more than 20 internship opportunities for youth—overall providing life-changing opportunity where local young professionals can grow their tech skills to build strong futures and break the cycle of poverty. Businesses that work with the Hopeworks GIS team include New Jersey American Water, Comcast NBCUniversal, and Merchantville Pennsauken Water Commission.

“Hopeworks is honored to receive the Special Achievement in GIS Award from Esri at this year’s conference in recognition of our groundbreaking work in using and providing GIS data to create new and more data-driven decisions for businesses,” said Luis Olivieri, Hopeworks GIS Team Manager. “Being selected by a global market leader in GIS technology like Esri is a testament to the work our team has done over the years in further developing advanced analysis for our clients.”

Esri, the world leader in GIS software, presents the SAG award to recognize organizations around the world that make extraordinary use of GIS technology and set new precedents for the GIS community. Recipients of the award are nominated by Esri employees from thousands of organizations worldwide, then personally reviewed and hand-selected by Jack Dangermond.

For more information about Hopeworks, please visit www.hopeworks.org and follow Hopeworks on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About Hopeworks

Hopeworks is a social enterprise that uses technology, healing, and entrepreneurship to transform lives. Hopeworks’ unique mix of training, trauma-informed care, and real-world experience is what leads to extraordinary results. The approach, combined with high-demand, high-wage technical training and paid work experience is helping to build a workforce that can not only get the job, but keep it, transforming their lives and the lives of their families.

To provide this experience, Hopeworks runs real businesses, providing technology solutions for businesses in web design and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Trauma informed solutions through training and consulting services with the Youth Healing Team. These businesses help generate over 125 youth jobs a year, and lead to high-wage, permanent opportunities for youth in a growing tech industry.

 Hopeworks’ unique combination has led to extraordinary results, with over 85% of youth associates earning high-wage jobs at the end of their work experience with Hopeworks, and a 12-month retention rate of almost 90% at those jobs. Young professionals entering Hopeworks are typically earning an average of $400 per year and after going through the training program, they have the opportunity to make a livable and comfortable wage, earning over $41,000 annually.