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Sharp Circle Inc.
Sharp Circle Inc. is a community-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to liberating people from their internal and external obstacles through our innovative mentorship programs so they can freely add their unique value to the world.
We work with people who want to shift their lives in an unprecedented and positive direction. We create around them a circle of individualized support, including people, resources, and new opportunities via community connections that are aligned with the individual's goals.
- We are individual-centered and design programs around people's needs
- We recognize people's desire to be pro-social and contribute resources to growing this perspective
- We show people what they CAN do and what's possible
- We focus on releasing pro-social behavior vs. restraining anti-social behavior
- We guide people towards self-agency via new connections
- We encourage people to stretch themselves out of the familiar in order to grow and experience expanded potential
Chris Johnson, the Executive Director of Sharp Circle Inc., has engineered powerful transformations in his life—going from someone who was sentenced by the state of California to spend the rest of his life in prison, to someone whom, 15 years later, has been recognized by the secretary of CDCR as a changed person who would be an asset to his community.
Chris envisioned Sharp Circle Inc. to fulfill the needs of what was missing from his experience as he began living his life more intentionally. He created this organization to provide empowering mentorship, consulting, and investment to move others towards their goals with certainty, care, and accountability. He knows how valuable diverse perspectives and lived experiences are, and he sees the power in sharing these resources with others in need so they can freely add their unique value to the world.
Programs
Life Ownership Program
We designed this program for youth housed in juvenile detention centers. Youth will create a Life Ownership Packet that expresses accountability and insight, which benefits the people harmed, the community, and the individual, while also igniting an audacious fresh start for their lives via a detailed reentry plan that begins in the now instead of the future. This packet offers incarcerated youth the opportunity to showcase their transformation, proving their need for support rather than further incarceration. Mentees graduate from the program with healthy new community connections and opportunities to shift their lives. Participants engage in group sessions and one-to-one sessions with a team of trusted mentors like you.
Entrepreneurial Mindset Program
We created this program to reach students who aren't engaged in traditional education. We recognize these students as inevitable change-makers. Mega-entrepreneurs of today also lacked engagement in traditional education and we believe this nexus speaks to their entrepreneurial potential. This program shows students how to take responsibility for their future and provides them with entrepreneurial skills and tools to pursue problem-solving value. We also aid these students in positive youth development by connecting them to a team of credible mentors who will provide practical wisdom, opportunities, and counter-perspectives to serve as protective factors against limiting influences in their environment.
Leadership Expansion Program
We designed our innovative leadership program to uniquely address the specific needs of individuals with challenging pasts who are transitioning into management roles in diverse organizations. It speaks to rarely mentioned obstacles such as: internalized oppression, imposter syndrome, and emotional awareness, amongst others.
Volunteering + Events
Become a Mentor
Thank you for considering partnering with us in this unique work. We're always looking for aligned people to work with the youth in our programs. Fill out this form (click on "Learn More") and we'll match you with a Mentee, depending on what our Mentees' unique needs are. You will be volunteering to meet with a person in order to gift them with your personal and professional experience. It is our hope that in this way you could add a specific value to a person's desired life outcome.
