Welcome to a movement for those rebuilding after the unthinkable.
This is a space for people to be seen, heard, supported, celebrated, and inspired as they reimagine what comes next.
This is a space for people to be seen, heard, supported, celebrated, and inspired as they reimagine what comes next.

For five former federal professionals, the answer became entrepreneurship, purpose-driven leadership, and the courage to build something new.
RIF2RISE recently recorded a powerful conversation featuring former federal professionals who transformed uncertainty into opportunity and launched businesses rooted in service, expertise, wellness, innovation, and community impact.
Through authentic storytelling, practical lessons, and heartfelt reflection, our panelists shared how they navigated transition, rediscovered purpose, and created meaningful next chapters.
The panel recording will be released soon.
Meet the remarkable leaders behind the conversation. From social impact consulting and workforce development to wellness, AI strategy, and government contracting, these former federal professionals are transforming transition into opportunity and building powerful new chapters of purpose and impact.
RIF2RISE is excited to announce a partnership with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready to help support entrepreneurs, creatives, consultants, and pivot-ventures within our community!
Whether you are launching a new business, rebuilding after career disruption, growing a side venture, or refining a long-held dream, Verizon Small Business Digital Ready offers free tools, courses, mentorship, networking opportunities, and resources designed to help small businesses thrive.
At RIF2RISE, we believe reinvention deserves support, visibility, and community. We are proud to help connect our network to opportunities that encourage growth, innovation, resilience, and new possibilities!
We are deeply grateful for the powerful and uplifting gathering we experienced on Saturday at The Unwanted Transition: Finding Peace and Direction After Job Loss.
This event brought together a community of current and former federal professionals, contractors, and others navigating change—each person showing up with courage, openness, and a shared commitment to moving forward with intention. The space was filled with reflection, connection, and a renewed sense of possibility.
We extend our sincere appreciation to our wellness partner, the Meditation Museum, and to Dr. Kanu Kogod for guiding us through an afternoon rooted in mindfulness, presence, and healing. Participants were offered meaningful tools and practices to help ground themselves, process transition, and reconnect with purpose.
This experience reflects the heart of RIF2RISE—creating spaces where individuals can be seen, supported, and empowered as they navigate disruption and step into what’s next.
To everyone who joined us: thank you for being part of this moment. We are honored to rise alongside you.

In 2025, the U.S. federal government underwent an unprecedented wave of workforce reductions. According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), approximately 317,000 civilian federal employees left government service this year — a number well beyond prior estimates.
That figure represents far more than a personnel shift: it reflects thousands of lives disrupted, careers ended or paused, and a massive rethinking of what federal service — and personal livelihood — look like in a rapidly changing landscape. Many who left did not simply step away; they were forced to pivot and reimagine their next chapter.
For many — especially women and women of color — the losses were disproportionate, compounding longstanding inequities tied to access, stability, and opportunity.
At RIF2RISE, we believe these stories are not just personal — they are powerful, and they deserve the spotlight. We created this space as an inclusive home for everyone affected by career disruption — a place to restore visibility, to champion the courage it takes to rebuild, and to forge pathways forward.
Whether your journey includes grief, reinvention, resilience — or a bold new beginning — your story can help ignite hope for others navigating the same uncertain terrain.
Join us. Share your experience. Help us build a community of resilience, reinvention, and renewal.
This past year changed so much for all of us. Through uncertainty and transition, we found strength in community — and in one another.
We share this moment on behalf of the entire RIF2RISE team and the people who continue to shape this movement.
As we carry the lessons of 2025 into 2026, we move forward with hope, resilience, and a shared commitment to rising together.


RIF2RISE is a non-partisan, inclusive, action-oriented organization created in 2025 by federal employees and contractors impacted by the reductions in force and furloughs. We come together to transform this shared experience into a movement of resilience and renewal.
Our primary purpose is to educate, empower, and support individuals affected by workforce reductions by helping them rebuild their professional and personal lives through community engagement, educational programming, entrepreneurship promotion, and self care.
RIF2RISE is led by women of color with extensive federal service backgrounds — from public health to education. We’ve all been touched by the 2025 RIFs and related disruptions, and we’re working collaboratively to support resilience, reinvention, and community.
Your journey matters — and someone needs to hear it.
RIF2RISE is building a living archive of resilience, renewal, and reinvention. If you’ve faced a federal RIF, furlough, or sudden job loss, your story can help inspire thousands navigating the same path.
We especially invite you to share your pivot-venture — a new entrepreneurial pursuit, revived passion, or income pathway sparked by disruption. A pivot-venture is any idea you launched or dusted off and finally brought to life as part of rebuilding your purpose, livelihood, or identity after workforce change. By sharing yours, you help others see what’s possible and allow us to promote and spotlight your work.
Whether you’re still finding your footing or already building what’s next, your voice is part of our collective rise. Add your story and let your journey inspire a new season of hope, connection, and forward motion.
RIF2RISE is evolving in real time. We’ll be rolling out fresh content (including content specific to those in the DMV), spotlighting pivot-ventures, and sharing resources designed to help you rise through workforce change. Stay close — there’s more on the way!

There are many ways to get involved with RIF2RISE, from sharing resources and attending upcoming events to simply spreading the word. Join our community today to make a difference.

Have a question or a suggestion? Contact us today, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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RIF2RISE provides information, resources, and community support for individuals navigating career transition and reinvention. Content on this website is for informational and inspirational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Stories and submissions reflect the views and experiences of their contributors. RIF2RISE may make minor edits for clarity while preserving the contributor's voice.