Jacqueline Goh

CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

‌“We have an opportunity to be the leaders that we want to be — regardless of the expectations put upon us — and this space gave me room to see how to carve out a path that felt authentic to me.”

IT'S BEEN HELPFUL to have the Catalyst Collective program as a generative space to name how white-dominant power structures impact and influence the way we exercise our own leadership. For me personally, it’s helped me to better understand what parts of this “conventional” leadership style I want to hold onto or to let go of. We have an opportunity to be the leaders that we want to be — regardless of the expectations put upon us — and this space gave me room to see how to carve out a path that felt authentic to me.

I am excited to see more and more women of color in positions of leadership and in roles that have been (and often still are) disproportionately occupied by white men. I’m also seeing more queer folks, more leaders who are vocal about disability, and more individuals who have “informal” educational backgrounds, as just a few examples. As a sector, I see us moving slowly towards broader and intentional inclusion, and recognizing the value of individuals for who they are rather than elevating a single cookie-cutter idea of leadership.

What do I want philanthropy to know about my field? Well, as a service delivery organization in the field of workforce development for formerly incarcerated individuals, so much emphasis is placed on our numbers and output: how many participants did we enroll? How many completed the program? How many jobs were secured? Of course these are all important measures of whether or not we are meeting our goals, but so often, the pressure to increase our numbers comes at the cost of ensuring that the unique needs of each participant are addressed. Particularly when we think about supporting vulnerable populations in their reentry into the workforce, it’s important that we set expectations that give organizations the time to set a solid foundation for participants in order to support their long-term success. And to be able to do this means being able to fund our organizations to allow that spaciousness to do our work with care and humanity, and not just driven by numbers.

Self-care has been central for Jacky, seen here on a warm, summer hike.

Jacky with friends, highlighting the importance of community at a Planned Parenthood event.

ABOUT

Jacky Goh serves as the Senior Director of Development for the Center for Employment Opportunitites, the nation’s largest provider of transitional employment services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Jacky has previously served as the Director of Strategic Growth at Define American, a culture change organization that uses the power of narrative to humanize conversations about immigrants. She has also raised funds to advance economic mobility, housing security, and health equity with her work at Restaurant Opportunities Center United, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, and the Center for Youth Wellness.