About Us

EVERY WOMAN DESERVES EQUAL ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES, REGARDLESS OF LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES

Her Blank Canvas is a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of system-impacted women and helps them gain access to support and opportunities.

Women from disenfranchised communities are less likely to receive equal access to education, employment, and financial opportunities. And these barriers make advancement for this community more challenging and often unattainable without proper support and advocacy.

At Her Blank Canvas, we believe every woman deserves equal access to opportunities – regardless of life circumstances.

We help women gain access to various opportunities by removing barriers through an alliance of partners and upholding a standard of inclusion and trauma-informed practices. It has been historically proven that women thrive when given access. And Her Blank Canvas is ensuring system-impacted women have an equal opportunity to transform their lives and communities.

Mission:

Restore the lives of women impacted by the criminal justice system.

Vision:

Our work is complete when all women, especially women from disenfranchised communities, are given an equal opportunity to thrive.

Core Values

Transformation

We believe that every woman has the ability to be a leader of themselves, their families, and their communities.

Trauma-informed

We are committed to having programs, services, and partners rooted in trauma-informed research and will continue to contribute to the evolution of such research.

Inclusion

We are dedicated to ensuring that every woman, especially those from disenfranchised communities, has access to equal opportunities.

Advocacy

We are resolute in continuing our work and support for system-impacted women.

Our Culture

Our community is diverse and inclusive of all beliefs, backgrounds, and walks of life. Our values and approach are rooted in faith-based principles, and we strongly believe that everyone should have full autonomy over their own journey.

WE EXIST TO RESTORE THE LIVES OF WOMEN IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO:

Remove barriers

Our main objective is to remove barriers to services and help women gain access to the services they need.

Develop partnerships

Our second objective is to create a trustworthy network of providers.

Inform policy

Our third objective is to contribute to trauma-informed literature and research while sustaining accountability for trauma-responsive practices in organizations and institutions.

WE CAN’T RESTORE THE LIVES OF WOMEN IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WITHOUT YOUR HELP

DONATE TODAY

Our Team

Bree Cooksey

Founder

Bree Cooksey’s connection to the community started from an early age. Growing up, she was very involved in extracurricular activities like sports and Girl Scouts, which was the start of her leadership foundation. For college, Bree attended California State University, Fresno, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Sports Marketing. Her love for sports turned into a passion for business in sports, and for a decade Bree pursued a career working in athletics and sponsorship sales. Currently, she works for a private professional network for senior executive women in business, alongside building the organization. Bree founded and has diligently worked on the Her Blank Canvas brand since 2016, which started as a social media account focusing on women empowerment and since has grown into the organization it is today. Through the evolution, Her Blank Canvas never lost its original purpose to empower women but has tailored its mission to focus on women with less opportunities. Her Blank Canvas’ mission is very personal to Bree and something she believes is possible for all women. So much so, she has Her Blank Canvas butterfly logo tattooed on her right wrist to remind herself that true transformation is achievable for anyone.

Board of Directors

DAVE BATES

Senior Director of Transitional Employment and Reentry at Five Keys

LORETTA ERHUNWUMNSEE, M.D.

Assistant Professor at City of Hope

MICHELLE GARCIA

Program Manager at Anti-Recidivism Coalition

JERRY COOPER, J.D.

Retired Commander at Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept.

MORGAN CHANDLER, LCSW, PPSC

Program Manager at Brilliant Corners

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