Walking into Hopeworks’ new Kensington space is like walking into a tech startup, with its sea of computers and teams of young people — only these tech workers are as young as 17, and are learning to code and build tech products so that they might eventually secure a job in the tech industry with a living wage. Dan Rhoton, 48, the CEO, believes that the antidote to poverty is simple: Create jobs and train young people to fill them. “The way to end poverty is with money,” he says, adding, “I am only half-kidding.” We spoke with Rhoton about how he became the CEO of Hopeworks and why he believes his company is a tool to fight poverty in Philadelphia.
What inspired you to get involved with Hopeworks?
I planned to spend my career in education. I loved my job as a teacher and administrator at a detention facility. Those youngsters had drive. But they were using it in the wrong direction. I felt I could help them change course. I spent 15 years there, and I thought I’d retire there.
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Announces new Skilled Trades Workforce Initiative to prepare the next generation of skilled workers Camden, NJ – September 18, 2026 – Hopeworks, a social enterprise advancing economic mobility through technology training and workforce development, is honored to announce a $1 million investment from Scott Bentley and the Switchpoint Foundation, a philanthropic foundation seeking transformational and […]
Camden, NJ — [September 1, 2026] — Hopeworks, a social enterprise advancing economicmobility through technology training and workforce development, today announced theappointment of Yet He, Treasurer and Head of Financial Planning & Analysis at FactSet, to itsBoard of Directors. Yet brings more than two decades of experience across finance, corporate strategy, mergersand acquisitions, capital markets, […]
New facility builds on proven workforce development model, with Dell Technologies supporting expanded access to AI tools and career readiness training NEWARK, N.J. – July 7, 2026 – Hopeworks announced that its newly established space in Newark, New Jersey is now fully open, with programming officially underway to support young adults entering technology and high-growth […]
