Non Stop Growth exists to make sure opportunity does not end where hardship begins.
We work alongside people navigating violence, incarceration, reintegration and barriers to opportunity. Our approach recognizes what systems often separate: safety, mental health, family stability, employment and opportunity are deeply connected.
Through Community Violence Intervention, Curbside Counseling, workforce preparation and youth development, we build trusted relationships and equitable pathways forward, working with the whole person rather than a single circumstance.
Founders' Story
Non Stop Growth developed at the intersection of two very different experiences within the justice system.
While incarcerated at Lorain Correctional Institution, Marcel was asked to lead classes for individuals considered among the highest risk. Through that experience, he discovered a deep commitment to service that continued after his return home, when he began teaching part-time at South Street Ministries and working with people navigating reintegration.
Growing up with an incarcerated parent gave Mia firsthand insight into how incarceration affects families beyond the person serving time. Her professional path later took shape in financial services, where she spent years in corporate leadership, eventually leading diversity, equity and inclusion within a Fortune 100 company and working across complex organizational systems.
Together, their experiences gave them different but complementary perspectives. Marcel brought firsthand knowledge of incarceration, reintegration and direct service, while Mia brought an understanding of incarceration's broader impact and institutional leadership.
Over time, they recognized a recurring gap: people's lives were interconnected, but the systems serving them often were not. Safety, mental health, employment, family stability and opportunity intersect in real life, yet support is often structured around individual needs rather than the whole person.
That recognition became the foundation for Non Stop Growth in 2023. Marcel and Mia built an approach centered on meeting people where they are, understanding the broader context of their lives and creating equitable pathways that connect trusted relationships, practical support and meaningful opportunity.
Mission and Vision
Mission
Our mission is to reduce community violence and expand equitable access to support, resources, and opportunity through Curbside Counseling, youth development, workforce preparation, and whole-human services that address the emotional, social, economic, and environmental factors shaping people's lives.
Vision
We envision communities where every person has equitable access to the relationships, resources, and opportunities needed to live safely, develop fully, and move toward a stable and meaningful future.
Our framework
Curbside Counseling is Non Stop Growth's distinct framework for Community Violence Intervention. Curbside Counselors are trained community-based professionals who build trusted relationships, respond to conflict, connect residents with support, and address the conditions that can contribute to violence and instability.
Leadership and board
Co-Founder | Executive Director
Marcel leads Non Stop Growth's community violence intervention strategy, field operations and institutional partnerships. His leadership connects direct community engagement with public systems, correctional institutions and the broader CVI field, shaping how Non Stop Growth advances safety, opportunity and community-led intervention.
Co-Founder | Operations Director
Mia leads the organizational systems that move Non Stop Growth from strategy to execution. Her work spans organizational planning, program development, operations, communications and infrastructure, aligning the people, processes and partnerships that support the organization's growth and impact.
Learning and exchange beyond Akron
Non Stop Growth maintains meaningful relationships throughout the broader Community Violence Intervention field.
The organization participates in the Human Justice Network and has collaborated with K. Bain of Community Capacity Development, Dr. Donald H. Tyler of Chicago CRED, Juard M. Barnes of The Rehoboth Project and Detroit Friends & Family. Its leadership also participates in the annual GIFFORDS Community Violence Intervention Conference.
These relationships broaden Non Stop Growth's perspective, strengthen its practice, and support its larger vision for community safety.