Dear Friends,
As Climb Hire continues to grow and significantly enhance both the workforce development sector and the lives of hundreds of Climbers, we are sometimes seen as an organization that unearths and upskills hidden talent.
That’s not entirely true. Because hidden talent doesn’t exist.
In my work in Colorado, California, and around the country, I’m proud to spread the word that hidden talent is a fallacy. The idea that Black, Brown, and low-income talent has been “hidden” is a lie that absolves those with hiring power from acknowledging their own biases.
Today, this inequity hinders not only countless diverse and dedicated talents, but also thousands of employers in the business and technology sectors whose companies would benefit from their expertise. Job seekers are hurting. Employers are looking to fill gaps in the labor market, and they are coming up short. Climb Hire is here to help. As an equity-focused workforce development nonprofit with deep connections in California and Colorado, we are shining a light on untapped talent and climbing toward a new future. Through our social capital curriculum, career navigation, and structured, supportive, pod learning environments, we provide job seekers with the tools to gain the upper hand in their careers, even when life didn’t give them a head start. Our Climbers get the coursework –200 hours of specialized training– AND the network, so that they can grow their careers. And they emerge with job-ready skills that allow employers to fill gaps in the labor market and diversify the business and technology sectors.
Without your support, these incredible leaps forward would never have been possible. And your support will continue to propel us forward.
In this, our very first annual report, we are excited to showcase both how far we’ve come in the past seven years and how far we intend to go in the next seven years and beyond.
Our job-seekers were never hiding. And it’s time for them, and our vital work together, to take center stage.
Best,
Sobriqué “Sorby” Grant President & CEO
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table
of contents
Our Pillars
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Guide With Empathy
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Equip for the Ride Ahead
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Course Correct with Care
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Create Direct Routes
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Our Strategy
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Our Partners
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Our Programs
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Climb Hire Through The Years
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Finances
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Board of Directors
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Get Involved
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At Climb Hire, we are defined by our customer experience, and we define our approach with four key pillars.
toolbox
Guide with Empathy heart
Course Correct with Care hand-heart
Create Direct Routes
Equip for the Ride Ahead
Our direct lived experience informs every aspect of our work. Many of our staff have walked the same road as our Climbers: navigating gig work, caregiving, underemployment, and the self-doubt that comes with entering unfamiliar professional environments. We’ve turned these experiences into the foundation of our Customer Experience pillars, which help Climbers navigate career changes and prepare for success. These pillars illustrate our unwavering belief in Climbers’ potential to help them move forward and see beyond missteps or transgressions. And they underpin the structure at the center of everything we do.
Climbers have our belief, our empathy, and our guidance. Our pillars are part pep talk, part guard rail, and part road map. And our pillars allow us to build a staircase, the top of which they’ve not yet seen.
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heart
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from all walks of life
Education attainment at enrollment 61% 23.5%
36.7%
of Climbers have a high school diploma or GED as highest level of education
did not complete college
have associates or bachelors
let’s break it down
2% military/veteran/or military dependent
Average Age: 33
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Tyler perleberg CEO, Employer Partner
When Tyler Perleberg thinks about what fed his own success, the recipe is simple: it took opportunity, risk-taking, empowerment, and mentorship. But that recipe didn’t come ready-made, a neatly-typed printout for him to follow. His journey to leadership was not linear. Long before he was in the C-suite, Tyler was working in restaurants. He knows from personal experience - including hard won victories during the great recession of 2008 when he first started consulting - that the pathway to finding jobs is winding and arduous. The first rung, the first set of experiences you need to achieve in order to get to that first step of a rewarding career, can feel nearly impossible unless you know someone. That’s why as an executive he believes in pivots, in valuing life skills and new skill-building, and in the fresh set of eyes career changers can bring to new problems. And as an employer who values a strong partner who can deliver professionals with these skills, he believes in Climb Hire. Tyler served as a leader within a boutique Salesforce consulting firm. As an employer partner, Tyler brought on several Climbers for internships, and three went on to earn full-time jobs at the firm. Tyler finds Climbers excel not only in the practical application of skills and problem-solving, but also in their ability to adapt to the company culture. Climbers bring authenticity, accountability, industriousness, and willingness to learn. They have all the ingredients Tyler seeks in new employees.
“Our Climb Hire interns have been very strong, willing to take risks, and dependable. When we think about hiring, we don’t have to go find someone, because we have the right people right here. Hiring Climbers is actually lower risk than going to market, when you see it from that perspective.”
Tyler Perleberg CEO, Employer Partner
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Alumni since 2019 925
Our 2024 cohorts
86%
of Alumni have achieved employment or promotions after one year of completing the cohort
S38,845.77
Average salary increase from enrollment to employment
94%
receiving one or more industry- recognized certifications or credentials
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toolbox
“Climb Hire is very thorough. They paired me with people who could help me, and we worked in collaboration. I learned not just to pass certification tests, but also about how the position would look in practice. I prepared for how to work with people, and how to develop different skills I would need to succeed.”
Kyah Harris Climb Hire Alum
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KYAH HARRIS
Climb Hire Alum, Salesforce Cohort Salesforce Administrator & Client Support Specialist
Looked at one way, Kyah Harris is a Salesforce administrator with an atypical background. Looked at another way, she’s been preparing for the role since her earliest days. Kyah is the oldest of seven siblings, and the first in her immediate family to graduate high school. She started working at a young age and amassed expertise from her roles in customer service – growing skills in problem-solving, triaging, and communications. Kyah has always been a leader; she learned to be responsible and manage her environment, and brought those skills into her career. In the workplace, she handled conflict, worked with teams, and juggled multiple projects at one time. But she saw her career growth limited because she didn’t have a four-year college degree. Kyah had wanted to go to college, but several obstacles – including the cost of tuition – stood in her path. She married and became a mother, and she thought maybe career advancement wasn’t in the cards for her.
But in the back of her mind, she also thought, “I just need an opportunity to get my foot in the door, and then any job will love me.”
Then she came to Climb Hire.
Kyah participated in our Salesforce administrator cohort, and amassed more technical skills and tools for navigating the workplace. And she changed her own mindset to believe more fully in her own assets and the value her background brings to the table. Kyah connected with Tjwana Dixon, our Vice President of Alumni Success, who pushed her, grounded her, connected her with resources, and prepared her for interviews. Kyah used the skills she built and employed as a salesforce administrator and client support specialist for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Now, she’s founded her own boutique consultancy, KHD Consulting, that draws on her expertise. And she is an example of what success in business looks like.
Preparing someone and seeing them feels like Getting my first job all over again watching them change their entire trajectory. I see myself as a stitch in the quilt of their life, because you always remember the people who helped you, and the ones who didn’t. As their accountability partner, I tell them, ‘I’m going to carry you, but I can’t do it for you. I’ll show you how.’”
Tjwana Dixon Vice President of Alumni Success, Climb Hire
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hand-heart
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KIA SCALES
Climb Hire Alum, Paid Search Marketing Cohort Media Buyer, Publicis Groupe
Before Climb Hire, Kia had some experience with social media management, but most of her work was focused on bartending and hosting. Now, she’s built on her existing skills and re- focused her career on media work. Within Publicis Groupe, Kia works at Starcom Worldwide, a global communications planning and media company. She runs 700 campaigns a year for major, worldwide clients. And the feedback and guidance she received at Climb Hire help power her journey.
“Climb Hire didn’t just help me through the cohort; when it was time to apply for my current role, the process was so hands-on in the resume and interview prep. They did so much prep with me, right up until two hours before the interview. Because they believed in me, it was easier to believe in myself. And when you’re sort of in a phase in life where you’re not really confident, it’s really helpful. Now, I’m in a position where I’m moving fast, I’m taking on more responsibility, and excelling. Climb Hire helped me get here.”
Mia frost
Climb Hire Fellow, Job Search Accelerator Climb Hire Alum, Paid Search Marketing Cohort
When a Climber needs constructive feedback, inspiration, or the perspective of someone who has been there before, they can turn to Mia. Her journey with Climb Hire started while she was going through nearly three years of serious medical issues, parenting two small kids, and enduring the pandemic. As a fellow, she draws from her experiences to help a new class of Climbers.
“One of the things I tell Climbers is what one doctor told me – fear and excitement are in the same part of your brain. You don’t have to let fear hold you back when it could be excitement pushing you forward. I’ve stayed online with Climbers while they sign up for things that seem daunting, or while they apply for jobs. I tell them, ‘I went through brain surgery and radiation, and I completed my cohort. Nothing needs to stop you. You can do it.”
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RYAN SMITH
Climber Alum, IT Cohort IT Service Desk Technician, PC Enhancements
Ryan grew up in the town of Rising Sun, Maryland, where there is a well-known IT Company called PC Enhancements. Often, when he’d drive by it, he would see a huge sign that said “hiring a computer technician,” and think to himself, “I should put in an application.” Ryan started building his own PCs when he was 12. He loved the constant challenge IT presented, and it was the career he had always envisioned for himself. But he didn’t have any professional IT experience. So he joined the IT cohort at Climb Hire.
He thrived in his cohort, earned his COMPTIA certification, and tailored his resume and interview approach based on Climb Hire feedback.
Ryan searched for a job posting at that very company, found the owner’s email address, and sent his resume. A few weeks later, he landed an IT job at PC Enhancements, the same company that had once seemed out of reach. Today he’s managing onboarding and offboarding employees, working on cybersecurity projects, conducting service calls, and troubleshooting issues. The career he envisioned for himself is now his reality.
I am so happy that I came to Climb Hire
Ryan Smith Climber Alum
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As Climb Hire continues to grow, we are dedicated to broadening and deepening our impact. So we dove into data analysis - studying which cities and states have the largest populations of non-degreed folks living beneath minimum wage. We examined the areas with the largest concentrations of alumni because we believe the social capital and connections are vital to workforce development, career advancement, and the human experience. And we considered prominent economist Raj Chetty’s data about social disconnectedness, and the geographic areas where it is most prevalent.
With that information, we chose California and Colorado to focus our resources and our programming. And we’re planning to launch pilots in Maryland, New York, and Florida. Here are just a few ways we’re doing this work:
Partnerships Throughout California and Colorado
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We’ve forged a partnership with Colorado’s Department of Human Services, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Fresh Success, in partnership with the Foundation of California Community Colleges, to offer our training programs to Coloradans and Californians receiving SNAP benefits. Folks who don’t have well-paying jobs are more susceptible to homelessness and food insecurity. And then, because of the associated stigma in seeking or accepting help, those barriers only compound. With this program, we help address one of the many invisible barriers our job-seekers are facing.
people-group
Building Coalitions Across Multiple States
We’re collaborating with CBOs and workforce boards and formed an AI Fluency Coalition for Economic Mobility. The coalition will act as a collective to co-create and provide responsive AI training, increasing AI literacy, fluency, and adoption among overlooked talent.
graduation-cap
Building Comprehensive Apprenticeship Programs
With the $500,000 California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship grant we won from the California Department of Industrial Relations, we’re building a comprehensive apprenticeship program in IT Support, Network Administration, and Cybersecurity. Its creation means we will not only continue to serve working and under/unemployed adults with our programs, but also expand our offerings for young job seekers.
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Good For others Foundation We share dedication to San Diego-based Good for Others’ mission: creating pathways to quality jobs for underserved communities through free training programs, employer partnerships, and nonprofit collaboration. And we were proud to provide the Job Search Accelerator program to their alumni. “Our partnership with Climb Hire has significantly strengthened the career readiness of the nonprofit workforce we serve. While technical skills are essential, social capital, professional confidence, and network-building are often the true differentiators in long-term career mobility. Through Climb Hire’s model, we have seen participants deepen their professional presence, expand their networks, and approach opportunities with a new level of strategic confidence. The impact extends beyond employment - it builds leaders who are equipped to navigate and thrive in complex workplace environments.”
John Valencia President and CEO
Alameda County Workforce Development Board To address the growing need for healthcare professionals across California, particularly in Alameda, we joined forces to launch a 20-week program through which Climbers developed medical assistant skills and earned their Certified Clinical Medical Assistant certification.
“Climb Hire has been an essential partner in helping our Certified Clinical Medical Assistant trainees understand the value of their leveraging their network and relationship capital to accelerate their careers and opportunities. Thank you Climb Hire for your partnership.”
“Working with Climb Hire has been an invaluable first experience, as we have successfully collaborated to unite various organizations and funding streams. This partnership has allowed ACWDB to deliver comprehensive and enhanced services to job seekers. Climb Hire has shown remarkable flexibility and adaptability in addressing the diverse needs of the communities we are dedicated to serving.”
Latoya Reed-Adjei Assistant Director
Rhonda Boykin Director
C ente r fo r Wo r k E du c ation and E mployment (C W EE)
Together with CW EE , we supported shared participants receiving Supplemental N utrition Assistance P rogram ( S N A P) to offer our training programs to Coloradans receiving S N A P benefits.
“We were excited to welcome Climb Hire to Center for Work E ducation and E mployment ( CW EE) to connect directly with our participants and share meaningful career opportunities. By coming on-site to discuss training pathways and high-growth roles, Climb Hire helped our community members see what was possible and take the next step toward long-term economic mobility. We deeply value this partnership and look forward to continuing to work together to expand opportunity and impact for the individuals we serve.”
J a cqule n e Bon d Ass i s t an t Manag er o f Edu c a tio n & Empl o ym e n t
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handshake IT SUPPORT
Climbers earn stackable credentials and pathways to promising, sustainable careers in IT and cybersecurity. These careers typically add $15,000 - $20,000 annually to Climbers’ pre-Climb Hire salaries. Our IT cohorts give Climbers – nontraditional, untapped talent – the chance to see themselves differently and for the world to see new faces, with unique perspectives, in these roles
sparkle AI FuNDAMENTALS
Climb Hire alum can partake in an eight-week, cohort-based program to build AI fluency, increase confidence, and help job-seekers gain a competitive advantage in their fields. Participants undertake a project-based internship and gain access to AI mentors. AI upskilling helps level the playing field for working adults typically left out of the conversation. And our economy, workers, and artificial intelligence to be at their best, we need everybody at the virtual table.
PAID SEARCH MARKETING
Climbers learn high-demand, digital marketing skills, earning certifications and amassing knowledge that can help them build well- paid careers in tech. Throughout the program, Climbers manage robust Google and Meta Ads campaigns and refine and optimize inbound marketing strategies with HubSpot. More untapped job seekers in more digital marketing roles means more diverse approaches to problem-solving, and more dynamic solutions.
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JOB SEARCH ACCELERATOR
Job seekers need increased support in this challenging job market. Our short-term, high-impact program helps job seekers grow their confidence, build professional networks, sharpen their job search toolkit, and learn how to effectively communicate their strengths to employers. After completion, participants can opt to add four additional weeks of career coaching to continue their growth. Accelerating the job search process benefits prospective employees, employers, and the economy all at once.
CERTIFIED CLINICAL MEDICAL ASSISTANT Through this program, offered in partnership with the Alameda County Workforce Board, Climbers develop medical assistant skills and earn their Certified Clinical Medical Assistant certification. Then, they can pursue careers in healthcare that offer quality roles, a living wage, career advancement, predictable hours, and strong benefits. This program both helps address our serious local and national healthcare crisis, and creates a pathway for domestic care workers to build caregiving roles into more well-paid, sustainable careers.
“Someone that may take a nontraditional path has that drive and that energy. I am showing that you can build your own path, and you can be just as qualified as someone with a degree, if not more.”
Kishar Coleman IT Cohort Alum Appointment Clerk, Kaiser Permanente
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Our second track, Customer Experience, launches in partnership with Better Mortgage.
Climb Hire is founded and begins with its first track in Salesforce. That program is conducted in person in the LinkedIn offices in San Francisco, California.
Climb Hire transitions to virtual because of the pandemic, and embraces the virtual model for future cohorts. Climb Hire extends our reach nationwide.
Founder, Nitzan Pelman, as Entrepreneur in Residence at LinkedIn, learns that the vast majority of jobs on the platform were secured through referrals. The idea for Climb Hire is born.
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Climb Hire becomes place-based and focuses on Colorado, and California, launching several partnerships in these areas We launch AI Fundamentals, Job Search Accelerator, and the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant tracks.
Climb Hire is awarded its first government grant of $750,000 from the California Workforce Development Board’s Breaking Barriers, as well as $4.1M from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving, which is used to launch Climb Together. Climb Hire launches the Digital Marketing track that will go on to be known as Paid Search Marketing.
Sorbriqué “Sorby” Grant becomes President and CEO. Climb Hire becomes free for Climbers. Climb Hire launches IT Support. Across IT Support and Paid Search Marketing, we run 8 cohorts this year. Climb Hire serves almost 400 Climbers, more alumni than the total of the previous 5 years combined.
Climb Hire launches cohorts in project management and in financial services.
With firsthand knowledge of systemic barriers and the expertise to design solutions, Climb Hire is uniquely positioned to lead sustainable, long-term change. Our lived experience allows us to design programs that resonate deeply with our participants, while our professional expertise ensures those programs produce meaningful and lasting outcomes. By integrating these perspectives, we don’t just prepare individuals for jobs—we help them build the confidence, social capital, and long-term support success.
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37%
Government
27% Foundations
24% Non Operating Income
REVENUE
8% Program
5% In Kind
0.1% Individuals
EXPENSES
5% Fundraising 15% Admin 80% Program
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Adam Broitman
Delphine Sherman
Pamela Bookbinder Clark
think there are plenty o people who are resourceul without the resources hey can gure out creatie ways to get things done Climb ire helps great people acuire the resources and skills they need to thrie in their careers
Climb ire is a mission-drien organiation that makes a dierence As the C o an aordable housing organiation see the impact o opportunity on peoples lies here are so many benets that come rom Climb ire its a new chapter in lie or the Climber
rom my rst ob as a each or America Corps Member where taught high school istory in he Bron or years to my years in talent acuisition since hae seen rsthand how deeply Climb ires work is needed Employers need skilled new hires who hae both the technical skills needed or the roles as well as sot skills needed to be ecellent teammates and colleagues
Jessie Brown
Michelle Vincent
Ei-Nyung Choi
ne thing thats so eciting about Climb ire is it acknowledges and builds upon the skills people need to naigate the world Climbers receie training releant to todays ob market in elds where people want to work
n my work e seen that the best talent doesnt necessarily look like the prole you might epect here is so much under represented talent that ust needs the tools the right coach or adisor whispering in their ear and the right access his is Climb ires mission the core o what they do and what they stand or and it can transorm someones lie
Climb ires mission closely aligns with my goals hae always wanted to leae tech better than ound it here are so many underrepresented groups that are not gien a chance orking with Climb ire allows me to pull people up the ladder with me
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LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR MISSION climbhire.co
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