Rise Above Foundation

Leadership

Rise Above Foundation

Ronny Brown has dedicated more than 40 years to serving individuals and communities through healthcare, recovery, housing, employment, and nonprofit work. Throughout his career, he has been driven by a passion for helping people overcome barriers, rebuild their lives, and achieve long-term stability—particularly individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, and other significant life challenges.

Ronny’s own journey has become a powerful success story. In 2014, he was honored as Goodwill’s Graduate of the Year, an award recognizing his perseverance, personal growth, and commitment to transforming his life. Following that recognition, Ronny went on to open a restaurant in the historic Tacoma News Tribune building, demonstrating firsthand what can happen when opportunity, determination, and community support come together to create lasting change.

Ronny also shared his personal testimony before prominent business leaders and community supporters, including executives such as the Vice President of Starbucks and other major donors. His inspiring story helped reinforce the importance of investing in programs that empower individuals to overcome adversity and build successful, productive lives.

Throughout his career, Ronny has consistently been a catalyst for innovative programs that address homelessness, addiction, recovery, and self-sufficiency. During his time with Boulder Care, Ronny helped spearhead a pilot program designed to engage individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders through a compassionate, client-centered approach. By building trust, meeting people where they were, and helping remove barriers to treatment and recovery, the program demonstrated the effectiveness of personalized care for some of the community's most vulnerable populations.

The success of Ronny’s efforts helped open the door for Boulder Care to expand its services by bringing in a larger multidisciplinary team to serve this population. The pilot program became an important foundation for broader outreach efforts and demonstrated how relationship-driven care could successfully engage individuals who often struggled to access traditional healthcare and recovery services.

Ronny also played a key role in the early development of Recovery Café’s outreach and engagement efforts. He helped identify and secure one of the first facilities used to serve individuals facing homelessness, addiction, and other life challenges. The program quickly gained recognition for its innovative approach to recovery, accountability, and community support. Judges, court personnel, community leaders, and service providers regularly visited the program to learn from its model and explore ways to better support individuals involved in the justice system and recovery process.

Over the years, Ronny has worked with organizations such as Boulder Care, Recovery Café, and numerous community-based programs focused on helping individuals transition from homelessness to stable housing, meaningful employment, recovery, and renewed purpose. His work has consistently focused on helping people not only survive difficult circumstances but thrive beyond them.

A significant influence in Ronny’s professional journey was respected businessman Herb Simon, who recognized Ronny’s potential early on and provided him with an opportunity to grow and succeed. Ronny often credits that opportunity as a turning point in his life and career. The faith and support shown to him inspired a lifelong commitment to extending those same opportunities to others who simply need someone to believe in them and provide a chance to succeed.

As President of Rise Above Foundation, Ronny brings a vision centered on creating meaningful and lasting change through compassionate support, strong community partnerships, and structured accountability. His leadership is grounded in dignity, respect, and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to overcome adversity and build a stable, independent future.

One of Ronny’s greatest strengths is helping individuals move from homelessness into safe, secure housing while also connecting them with employment opportunities, recovery services, and community resources. He understands that true recovery involves more than housing—it requires restoring hope, rebuilding relationships, reconnecting individuals with family and loved ones, and helping people rediscover their sense of purpose, value, and self-worth.

Ronny’s approach emphasizes ethical leadership, measurable outcomes, and sustainable solutions that strengthen both individuals and the communities they live in. Through Rise Above Foundation, he remains committed to empowering people to rise above life’s challenges and move forward with confidence, stability, hope, and the opportunity to build a better future for themselves and their families.

Ronny Brown-President