CareerWork$ is a national workforce development organization. It connects individuals from under-resourced communities to lasting, stable careers through free training, and builds supportive partnerships advancing equitable economic stability. We operate two eight-week, industry-specific career training programs (financial services and non-clinical healthcare). These programs teach the industry- specific knowledge and the customer-facing skills needed to succeed and advance in careers. These programs are free for participants.
We know job stability is critical to advance economic stability. Our model is effective, efficient and can scale rapidly to deepen our impact.
CareerWork$ is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (EIN 82-2896556), and all contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
Mission
CareerWork$® connects individuals from under-resourced communities to lasting, stable careers through free training, and builds supportive partnerships advancing equitable economic stability.
Vision
We create an environment where everyone can achieve meaningful careers, economic stability, and all communities thrive.
Values
- We treat everyone with respect and dignity at all times
- We are committed to our participants’ and partners’ success
- We achieve more when we collaborate and all work together
- We honor our participants’ commitment to learning, and will support them and our training partners
- Connection drives our approach: connection to our training partners; to the communities they serve, to employers and industry, and the connections we facilitate between training partners all contribute to our success
- We continually strive for excellence in all we do, and recognize and honor that our students and partners are doing the same
- We are committed to creating an inclusive organization in which all are welcomed and valued, and to advancing equity in our work by ensuring equal access to success while acknowledging and seeking to remove barriers some groups have faced
Our Team
Dion Willis, Program Manager
Dion comes to CareerWork$ from the YWCA of Seattle. He started as an intern, worked his way to a Job Training Instructor before becoming a Career Navigator for all three markets. Over his seven years at YWCA, Dion has taught various job readiness workshops, life skills curricula and has assisted numerous participants in starting their career journey while providing motivation to become the best version of themselves. Dion serves as a key support liaison to new and existing CareerWork$ training partners, providing curriculum and instructional support, as well as representing the program across the country to constituents while supporting the team in achieving its national expansion. In his spare time, Dion enjoys listening to and creating music. Born in Chicago, he is an avid Seattle Seahawks fan and takes pride in giving back to his culture.
dion@careerworkstraining.org
Latoya Edmond, National Director
Latoya helps expand our career training programs and deepen our impact in markets across the United States. A proud Philadelphia native, Latoya brings over 15 years of experience in workforce development. Prior to joining CareerWork$, Latoya served as the Vice President of Workforce Development & Economic Innovation for Philadelphia OIC, a training partner of CareerWork$ BankWork$ program, where she managed over $2.5 million annually in public/private agency grants and contractual funds while overseeing the organization’s workforce development initiatives and partnerships, including the BankWork$ program.
Latoya also serves as an Advisory Committee Member for the Pennsylvania Bankers Association Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Group, Executive Team member of the Workforce Professionals Alliance, and is a 2020 Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange alum. Latoya holds a master’s degree in Management & Leadership and Public Administration from East Stroudsburg University and Certificate in Non-profit Administration from Temple University. Outside of work, Latoya finds joy in dedicating time to her son.
latoya@careerworkstraining.org
Ranko Fukuda, Managing Director
Ranko is responsible for working with vocational training partners, employer partners, and community stakeholders to ensure CareerWork$ programs are maximizing their impact in markets across the country. After graduating from the University of Michigan, Ranko spent 12 years with Capital One Financial, honing her Project and Program Management skills in strategy and operations roles, and also managed the Bank’s charitable giving program. Her tenure at Capital One ended unexpectedly when the Great Northeast Earthquake and Tsunami affected her home country of Japan, and she moved to Japan temporarily to help aid in disaster recovery with All Hands Volunteers. Upon her return to the US, Ranko moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector to leverage her professional skills in making a difference in underserved communities. She is also a passionate advocate of animal welfare and volunteers her time with rescue organizations and fosters homeless pets.
ranko@careerworkstraining.org
Ruby Sloan, Sr. Program Manager
Ruby’s journey with CareerWork$ started in 2012 when she graduated from the Seattle BankWork$ program and started her career in banking as a teller. With the training, she received while in the program, she stood out as a top performer and work her way up to a Sr. Relationship Banker position in commercial banking. Wanting to give back to the program that changed her life, she became a Career Navigator with Seattle BankWork$ expansion into Pierce County. Ruby serves as a key support liaison to new and existing CareerWork$ training partners, providing curriculum and instructional support, as well as representing the program across the country to constituents while supporting the team in achieving its national expansion. In her spare time, Ruby enjoys taking road trips with her husband and children, exploring natural attractions, and tasting new food from different cultures.
ruby@careerworkstraining.org
Tiffany Summers, Instructional Specialist
Tiffany Summers is a seasoned professional with a decade of experience in the financial services sector. She joined the CareerWork$ team as an Instructional Specialist after her tenure at Dallas College, where she was instrumental in equipping students from various backgrounds for success and establishing strong industry partnerships within the DFW metroplex through the Dallas College BankWork$ program. Tiffany leverages her expertise and experience as the class instructor and career coach for BankWork$ Fundamentals, CareerWork$’s virtual financial services career training program. Though a South Carolina native, Tiffany’s professional journey has been predominantly shaped by her time in Los Angeles, CA, where she has left a lasting impact on the community and industry. Tiffany holds a master’s degree in educational technology and media leadership from California State University Long Beach and a bachelor’s degree in education. When Tiffany isn’t working or learning a new skill, she enjoys spending time with her family, listening to audiobooks, and traveling.
tiffany@careerworkstraining.org
Our Board
Clayton DeHaan
Director, Consumer Banking and Merrill Edge Pacific Northwest Region Executive, Bank of America
Kyle Hayden
Controller
Washington Bankers Association
Lisa Hefter
President & COO
Peoples Bank
Megan Managan
Director of Public Affairs
Washington Bankers Association
Bryan McDonald
President & COO
Heritage Bank
Don Stafford
Market Executive
Wells Fargo
Laurie Stewart
President & CEO
Sound Community Bank, Seattle
Duncan Taylor
SVP & COO
Washington Bankers Association
From Our Founders
Dear friends,
We founded CareerWork$ because we care deeply about education and knew that economic instability for parents hurt student learning outcomes. We realized we were uniquely positioned to create more opportunities for career-potential jobs, giving parents and others stability necessary for their families. So we embarked on a journey to expand our work. Les reached out to several bank executives to support this idea, and we chose our first non-profit training partner. Together we created the BankWork$ program, focused on access to entry-level jobs in financial services with opportunities for career advancement. Sheri’s deep commitment to healthcare inspired our program focused on non-clinical healthcare roles, and we launched CareerWork$ Medical in 2017.
Our commitment to helping people have access to livable wage career paths is very personal to us. We want every person to have the experience Les had early in his career, when people in positions of power opened doors that helped him climb the banking career ladder. Today, too many young people—particularly people of color—face barriers to that first rung of the career ladder. At CareerWork$, our objective is to open doors in the same way others opened doors for Les. We founded the Sheri & Les Biller Family Foundation to change people’s lives in meaningful and lasting ways. Since 2006, we’ve created access for thousands of young people to launch meaningful, lasting careers. Seeing the ripple effects of these programs on participants, their families, their networks, and their communities inspires us and keeps us deeply committed to this work.
Today, our programs have launched more than 5,300 careers with access to increased responsibility and compensation. Just as importantly, they give participants an opportunity to be responsible for their own success. For us, graduation ceremonies and hiring fairs are the most powerful moments in these programs, where graduates immediately interview for open roles with our employer partners. After eight weeks of hope and trust, we see young people emerge with skills and abilities, yes, and with renewed self-confidence, self-worth, and pride. At a recent job fair we congratulated a graduate on her on-the-spot job offer. She smiled and said, “I have a few more interviews, so I’m going to see if I get a better offer.” Witnessing her pride in what she accomplished through this program, and knowing this experience was lifechanging—that’s why we care so deeply about this work.
Thank you for your interest in opening doors to career opportunities through CareerWork$ and our programs. Thank you for being part of this effort to ensure that everyone can achieve economic stability to support themselves, their families, and communities everywhere. The future is enormously exciting.
With gratitude,
Les & Sheri Biller
The Sheri & Les Biller Family Foundation
