CAMDEN – As a young child, Kirah Boyd never saw herself earning a living by crocheting.
“There was a friend I had in middle school who pulled out a crochet hook and some yarn,” Boyd said. “I was looking at her, like, ‘What are you doing?’”
But once Boyd picked up the same tools, she said she was, well, hooked. Roughly a decade later, she started her own business, Hooked On Kirah, which she said provides wearable art made using those tools, teaches crochet at senior centers and organizes events showcasing the pastime.
Then there’s Michaela Goins, who also had a moment that helped shape her career path.
“One day, I wore one of my favorite sweaters, and everyone loved it,” Goins said. “They asked me if I sold them. I didn't, but (realized) I could.”
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 […]
The nonprofit provides paid training, career support and real work to help 17- to-26-year-olds move into full-time jobs averaging $43K a year. In a bright room at Hopeworks Kensington, young adults sit at computers learning to code, build websites and prepare for careers many once thought were out of reach. Some come in unsure of […]
