OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ART AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

OUR GOALS

By combining the philosophies the social impact of nonprofits and financial sustainability of for-profit enterprises, we establish an infrastructure that builds innovative economies.

We Are Lions aims to be a source of opportunity for people with disabilities, mental illness’, and other underserved communities. Unemployment and underemployment are serious issues we seek to address. According to the United States Department of Labor (Feb. 2016), the unemployment rate (10.8%) is twice as high of the ‘neurotypical’ at 5.1%, yet the labor force participation is at a staggering 19.5% for people with disabilities, as compared with 67% for people without disabilities. According to a 2014 national study conducted by the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), 80% of the population with mental illness is unemployed. Approximately 60% of the 7.1 million people receiving public mental health services nationwide want to work, but less than 2% receive supported employment opportunities provided by states.