Tommy Safian, Managing Director of Opportunity Justice and Prism Reform, emerged as a thought leader in criminal justice when he launched Refoundry* in 2015. The groundbreaking program trained formerly incarcerated men and women to repurpose discarded materials into home furnishings, and mentored graduates into their own business or career-track job.   An award-winning speaker, Tommy has been featured at universities, at conferences, and on panels, and his accomplishments have been lauded in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., CBS, Fox, WPIX, NY1, Upworthy, and numerous other publications, podcasts, and broadcast and internet media. 

REFOUNDRY PROGRAM OUTCOMES
IN BROOKLYN & LOS ANGELES
UNDER TOMMY SAFIAN’S LEADERSHIP
———————————————

Anticipating the impact of the Covid pandemic, by April 2020 Tommy had shifted Refoundry to in-home programming, increasing both participation and funding. During the pandemic Refoundry participants were paid to sew sew washable and reusable fabric face masks, and the organization donated more than 5,000 to staff and Residents at Rikers Island and to homeless people in Los Angeles.

*Refoundry co-founders Tommy Safian and Cisco Pinedo (1963-2023) were forced out of Refoundry in 2021; the remaing Board mismanaged the organization and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy dissolution in 2023.

REFOUNDRY WORKSHOPS

Along with co-founder Cisco Pinedo, Tommy also developed the acclaimed Refoundry Workshops in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. The half-day Workshops brought together program participants with hundreds of people from business, government, academia, law enforcement, foundations, and nonprofits. Led by Refoundry craftspeople, attendees worked together to create beautiful furniture and fashion items from discarded materials. Popular and fun, Workshops were designed to bridge differences, build understanding and empathy, and expand actionable professional networks through engaging co-creating activities.

Refoundry
A New Justice Lexicon
New Justice Lexicon - A Glossary
Business Advantages to Hiring Justice Impacted People