Co-Founder & Executive Director, 2015-2021
Tommy Safian , Managing Director of Opportunity Justice and Prism Reform, emerged as a thought leader in criminal justice when he launched Refoundry* in 2015. The groundbreaking program trained formerly incarcerated men and women to repurpose discarded materials into home furnishings, and mentored graduates into their own business or career-track job.
Anticipating the impact of the Covid pandemic, Tommy quickly shifted Refoundry to in-home programming, increasing participation and funding. During the pandemic Refoundry participants sewed and donated more than 5,000 washable and reusable fabric face masks to staff and Residents at Rikers Island and to homeless people in Los Angeles.
An award-winning speaker featured at universities, conferences, and on panels, Tommy’s accomplishments have been lauded in major print, broadcast, podcasts, and internet media, including: The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company, and Inc.; CBS, Fox, WPIX, and NY1; Upworthy, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and more.
*Refoundry co-founders Tommy Safian and Cisco Pinedo (1963-2023) were forced out of Refoundry in 2021; the remaing Board mismanaged the organization and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy dissolution in 2023.
REFOUNDRY WORKSHOPS
Tommy also helped develop Refoundry’s acclaimed Workshops in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, that brought together program participants with hundreds of people from business, government, academia, law enforcement, foundations, and nonprofits. Led by Refoundry craftspeople, Workshop attendees together created beautiful furniture and fashion items from discarded materials. Workshops were designed to bridge differences, build understanding and empathy, and expand actionable professional networks in a fun and co-creative setting.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON
CRAFT-BASED WORKSHOPS
SEE PRISM REFORM’S
HOME FOR GOOD & A SHOW OF HANDS
Or contact: info@PrismReform.org
