Our Story
The RISE Group was founded on a simple but powerful belief: people returning from incarceration deserve real opportunities, not just good intentions. We saw a system that offered housing without structure, programs without documentation, and hope without a pathway.
So we built something different. We created the Reforged™ operating system — a discipline-based framework that turns housing into institution-ready infrastructure. We developed proprietary curriculum. We designed pathways for organizations to gain DOC recognition, institutional credibility, and sustainable funding.
Today, The RISE Group works with property owners, entrepreneurs, and operators across the country who are serious about building reentry organizations that last. We don't just coach — we build. We don't just advise — we implement. And we don't just hope — we guarantee results.
Our Mission
"Building Reentry Systems That Last"
Every person returning from incarceration deserves a real chance. Not a program that exists on paper but fails in practice. Not a halfway house that offers shelter without structure. A genuine, documented, institutionally credible pathway back to full participation in society.
We exist to create those pathways — by converting properties into compliant reentry housing, by building organizational capacity, and by connecting programs to the funding and partnerships they need to operate at scale.
Why We Exist
The Problem
Most reentry programs operate without DOC recognition, without documented compliance, and without institutional credibility. They help people, but they can't scale, can't contract, and can't access the funding streams designed for this work.
The Opportunity
Billions of dollars are available for reentry services — federal grants, state contracts, local partnerships. But only organizations with the right documentation, the right framework, and the right credibility can access them.
Our Solution
Reforged™ provides the operating system, the curriculum, the compliance framework, and the institutional credibility to transform any housing asset into a contractable, fundable, sustainable reentry operation.
The Result
Organizations that complete our pathways don't just operate programs — they become recognized institutions with DOC contracts, sustainable funding, and the infrastructure to serve their communities for generations.
Our Leadership
Christian Buze
Creator of the Reforged™ curriculum and operating system. Years of boots-on-the-ground experience building reentry programs that work.
Michaesha Hinton
Leads operations, partnerships, and organizational development. Ensures every pathway delivers measurable outcomes.
Charisse Richards
Manages compliance, documentation, and the administrative infrastructure that keeps programs running.
Portia White-Buze, M.Ed.
Educational design and curriculum development. Ensures every program meets learning objectives and compliance standards.
Our Values
Discipline
Sustainable reentry requires structure — not just programs, but systems that enforce accountability and track progress.
Credibility
We build organizations that institutions trust, fund, and contract with. That means documentation, compliance, and results.
Sustainability
Programs shouldn't depend on constant fundraising. We build revenue streams and institutional partnerships that last.
Impact
Everything we do is measured. Lives transformed, programs launched, contracts secured, communities changed.