National Alliance to End Homelessness Announces Inaugural Recipients of the Baker-Boyle Innovation Fund

Washington, D.C., June 30, 2025 — The National Alliance to End Homelessness announced the recipients of the Susan G. Baker and Elizabeth Boyle Innovation Fund today. This fund was created to honor the work and legacy of Baker and Boyle, two of the co-founders and the longest serving board members of the Alliance. The fund will support the professional and creative endeavors of individuals who have experienced homelessness. Awards are valued at amounts up to $25,000. 

Projects were selected based on the impact of the project on the applicant’s future professional or creative goals, demonstrated dedication to the pursuit of the project, and demonstrated sustainability of the work beyond the funding from the Alliance. Seven projects were chosen as recipients of the grant.  

“Investing in people who have lived experience is crucial to the Alliance’s goal of ending homelessness. The incredible skills, perspectives, and ambition demonstrated by this year’s recipients not only shatter false narratives about who experiences homelessness, but it also positions the recipients as powerful changemakers. We are excited to see the outcomes of these projects,” says Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.  

Grants Focused on Professional Endeavors 

Steven Baker will create a food trailer named Stevie B’s Cajun Kitchen to pursue his goal of becoming a chef and entrepreneur. He aims to use his food to celebrate Cajun culture and bring new vibrancy and innovation to Madison, Wisconsin. His experience with the Creole culinary tradition will allow him to foster a diverse, elevated, and accessible experience.  

Dawn Cogliser will grow EcoRECOVERY by making it a 501(c)(3) and expanding its services. EcoRECOVERY is a guided nature connection that focuses on helping participants move from a fight-or-flight nervous system to a rest-and-digest nervous system. This work is especially important because people who are struggling with addiction often live in fight or flight mode. Cogliser is trained and certified in nature-based modalities of Forest Therapy and EcoNIDRA, which she has merged with her medical training to begin EcoRECOVERY.  

Matthew Kirby will begin Project 9toThrive, an incubator dedicated to highlighting the stories of one million BIPOC professionals, both inside and outside the workplace. Project 9toThrive is set to launch in July, 2025. Kirby hopes to build a platform where diverse narratives are celebrated and underrepresented voices can be amplified. Among these voices will be individuals experiencing homelessness or housing inequality who are current or former professionals. Project 9toThrive will support at least 10 creators annually and equip them with tools – including technical tools, mentorship, and professional development – so that they can reshape the media landscape through storytelling.  

Trey Santorine will research the impact of statewide criminalization on people experiencing homelessness. As a doctoral student at the University of Miami, he hopes to measure the effect that HB1365’s obligatory criminalization of homelessness has on people in two counties in Florida. Using an academic survey to hear from 500 people, he will build on ongoing qualitative research in social services to understand the impacts on mental health, medical history, substance use behaviors, and willingness to seek and receive social services.  

Grants Focused on Creative Initiatives 

Aaron Davis will use painting, film, photography, and block carving to create Beyond Walls: Redefining “Home,” which will culminate in an art exhibition. Davis will explore the themes of home beyond physical structure, forced displacement, and the resilience needed to survive while maintaining joy. Furthermore, they hope to emphasize the intergenerational impact of forced relocation in their own family’s history. This project will begin bigger conversations about global displacements in the modern world in order to highlight our shared connection. After the exhibition, Davis will create a Zine to explore “What is Home?” by inviting contributions from those who have experienced homelessness or displacement.  

Grants Focused on Creative and Professional Initiatives 

Ariana Anjaz will launch VRFY, an activewear brand that has a mission of empowering women through fitness, confidence, and self-expression. As a fitness instructor and advocate for culturally inclusive health practices, VRFY provides modest, functional, and stylish options for women who otherwise cannot find clothing that aligns with their values. VRFY allows women to embrace fitness and feel welcome in a space where they can wear what they are comfortable in.  

Idalia Ramos will establish Somatic Jazz Healing which will integrate somatic movement practices with jazz dance. This initiative will aim to provide emotional and physical healing through dance to provide a space where participants can release trauma, reconnect with their bodies, and foster emotional resilience. Somatic Jazz Healing will center on trauma-informed and accessible healing to women of color, especially those in underserved communities.  

Over the two-year grant period, the recipients will provide interim project updates to Alliance staff and attend one conference. When the period is over, the grantees will submit a brief report explaining the results that were achieved.  

“The Alliance is extremely grateful to Susan Baker and Betty Boyle for their commitment and leadership, and their generous donation to create this fund. Their commitment to empowering people with lived experience of homelessness demonstrates leadership that drives real change,” says Oliva. 

---

About the National Alliance to End Homelessness

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. As a leading voice on the issue of homelessness, the Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective solutions; works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity; and provides data and research to policymakers and elected officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide.