Christine & Emily - Founders and Moms

Christine and Emily first crossed paths in 2018 when their children attended the same therapy clinic. At the time, life was full and moving fast, and there wasn’t much space to truly connect. In 2024, they reconnected at a conference—and this time, something stuck. Their friendship grew through church gatherings, family lunches, and ongoing conversations rooted in a shared passion for helping their children grow and thrive.

Together, they helped start and lead an adaptive ministry at Strawbridge United Methodist Church in Kingwood, Texas—launching one of the first classes designed to create a more inclusive and supportive space within the church community. It was there that their vision began to take shape, not just for their own children, but for a much larger community.

Along the way, Emily had already begun to see what many families eventually face. Through conversations with parents of older adults—and through her own experience as a mom of her daughter, Aubrey—she recognized that isolation often continues well into adulthood, with limited opportunities for connection, purpose, and long-term direction after graduation.

That insight led her to begin exploring a different approach—one rooted in building skills through real experiences. She started experimenting with hands-on opportunities like baking, candle-making, and other artisan work, looking for ways to create meaningful engagement while also developing skills that could grow over time.

As these ideas took shape, Emily began sharing her vision for something more—a community intentionally built around connection, contribution, and long-term growth. Christine brought a shared passion and a drive to build something sustainable, and together they began exploring what it would look like to create a nonprofit.

They learned from other thriving communities while intentionally shaping a model centered on connection, belonging, and purpose.

The RISE Community was created from that shared vision: to build a community of connection, belonging, and purpose for individuals with disabilities—where people can grow, contribute, and thrive throughout their lives.

At the same time, something beautiful was unfolding—Madilyn and Aiden formed a genuine friendship of their own. Watching that connection grow made it even more clear what was possible.

Today, we are continuing to build that community—one that is radically inclusive, deeply supportive, and grounded in what helps people learn, build relationships, experience joy, and live a life of connection, belonging, and purpose.