Welcome to My Friends in Philanthropy, the podcast dedicated to the people and organizations driving meaningful change.

In this episode, Patti Parker sits down with longtime community innovator Neli Rowland, a leader with a 30-year track record of transforming how we address homelessness, addiction, and poverty. Neli shares how she and her husband built one of the nation’s earliest vertically integrated ecosystems—combining supportive housing, social services, and social enterprises—to help individuals rebuild their lives with dignity, purpose, and long-term stability.

They discuss the limitations of traditional shelter models, the power of transitional employment, the importance of addressing root causes rather than symptoms, and why real estate and economic development are essential tools for break ...