Meet Isabel McDevitt of Bridge House in Boulder and Aurora

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabel McDevitt.

Isabel, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I graduated from college in 1998 with a degree in Sociology. I had volunteered for numerous causes as a kid and through college. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for work when I graduated but I knew I wanted to “help people”. I moved to New York City and stumbled into my first job as the assistant to the Executive Director of Common Ground a housing organization that has pioneered many innovative models to house people experiencing homelessness. At Common Ground, I was introduced the complexity of homelessness and the need to develop comprehensive and practical solutions including access to employment. As I became more interested in employment as a key ingredient to addressing homelessness, I learned of another organization The Doe Fund.

In 2000, I started work as a job developer at The Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing & Able program. RWA employs, houses and provides case management support homeless and formerly incarcerated men. The core of RWA is to combine paid work in social enterprise and a community of support as a pathway to independent housing. I was captivated by the model and became especially interested in the intersection of business and mission. I became the Director of Business Development overseeing four social enterprises including street cleaning, food service, pest control and business maintenance, that deployed over 400 men daily and earned over $5million in revenue annually. I learned about the importance of paid work to help program trainees build resumes and earn a pay check, as well as the importance of social enterprise as a source of revenue for the organization to support its mission. I worked for RWA for nearly ten years.

In 2011, after moving to Boulder for personal reasons, I started at Bridge House as a volunteer. At the time Bridge House provided day shelter and meals for adults experiencing homelessness. Leadership was seeking an employment solution and, as a volunteer, I helped them found the Ready to Work program. Ready to Work is loosely modeled on RWA by offering a holistic model of employment, housing and supportive services. In 2012, I became CEO. In the last 8 years Bridge House has grown rapidly building upon the basic needs foundation and expanding access to employment and housing. In 2020, we have two Ready to Work locations with capacity to employ and house 94 people; we run two social enterprises that earn over $1m annually; we service 1000+ people through basic needs such as meals and shelter, and we are a leader in developing innovative housing and service solutions to address homelessness regionally and nationally.

Great, 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?
I am very privileged. I am fortunate to have many supports in my life and I have had access to many opportunities. This foundation has allowed me to have the confidence to take risks and pioneer new ideas. The challenges I have faced have been related to taking risks and the consequences of moving quickly.

Please tell us bout the oraganization.
Bridge House ends homelessness one person at a time. Our mission is to challenge the status quo by developing innovative and effective solutions addressing homelessness. We offer a range of services from basic needs, walk up programs to robust employment and housing initiatives. Our Ready to Work program is the only comprehensive “work-first” model” in Colorado that combines paid work, with housing and supportive services to break insidious and expensive cycles of homelessness, joblessness, and incarceration.

In addition to our creative models, I am very proud of our steadfast belief in humanity and fierce commitment to the people we serve. The trust we forge and the love we share with our clients is what differentiates our impact.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Confidence and the courage to take risks. Many times, I have embarked on an idea or project based on a hunch with no assurances that it would succeed. For better or worse, this confidence and drive has led to the creation of many programs and services that would otherwise have not existed. I have also had failures but my confidence in my belief that we need to keep innovating and trying new things to effectively address homelessness has kept me motivated to keep forging ahead.

Contact Info:

• Address: Bridge House
  5345 Arapahoe Ave
  Boulder, CO 80303
• Website: boulderbridgehouse.org readytoworkco.org
• Email: isabel@boulderbridgehouse.org
• Instagram: @bobridgehouse

Image Credit:
Shannon Kiss
Christina Kiffney

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