Success Map Initiative Welcomes NYSID as Its Newest Statewide Workforce Development Partner
Albany, NY — December 11, 2025 — Success Map Initiative (SMI) is proud to announce a new statewide partnership with NYSID (New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc.), a leading organization advancing employment opportunities and economic independence for New Yorkers with disabilities and qualified veterans. This collaboration strengthens SMI’s growing network of employers, training institutions, and community partners working to build inclusive, sustainable workforce pipelines across New York State.
Through this partnership, SMI and NYSID will work together to expand workforce training, employer education, second chance hiring support, disability inclusion pathways, and specialized programming for individuals navigating both disability and justice-involvement. The collaboration will also provide employers with practical solutions for recruitment, onboarding, retention, and leadership development, helping them build stronger, more inclusive teams while meeting real labor-market demands.
A Strategic Partnership Addressing One of the State’s Most Overlooked Workforce Gaps
People with disabilities remain one of the most underemployed and unemployed populations in New York State. When disability intersects with justice-involvement, the barriers multiply resulting in lost talent, limited economic mobility, and overlooked employer incentives that could benefit both workers and businesses.
“This partnership carries tremendous importance,” said Trent Griffin-Braaf, Founder & CEO of Success Map Initiative. “Individuals with disabilities face some of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and when justice involvement is added to the equation, the challenge becomes even more complex. Through my work across jails, youth detention centers, and community programs, it’s been eye-opening to see how many people never identified as having a disability—not because the need wasn’t there, but because they were never diagnosed early or were labeled a ‘criminal’ instead of a person who deserved support. NYSID has been a statewide leader in changing that narrative, and together we’re building a pathway that gives individuals the resources, training, and opportunity they should have had all along.”
Maureen O’Brien, President and CEO of NYSID, said: “We are proud and pleased to be partnering with Success Map Initiative to help educate employers, expand workforce training and create new opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities particularly those that are justice involved and have not benefited from supports and services that assist in employment success. A little over a year ago, Governor Hochul signed Executive Order 40, making it state policy to prioritize jobs for people with disabilities. This partnership with SMI helps NYSID and other employers in the effort to make EO40 a rousing success for all individuals with disabilities.”
Expanding Opportunity Through Joint Programming and Employer Engagement
Together, SMI and NYSID will:
- Deliver customized workforce training for individuals with disabilities, including those who are justice-impacted.
- Support CTE and youth pathways, connecting young people—diagnosed and undiagnosed—with resources, assessments, and career opportunities.
- Provide employer training on building inclusive workplaces, maximizing hiring incentives, and retaining a reliable, prepared workforce.
- Strengthen jail-based and community-based workforce pipelines across New York State, including Albany, Schenectady, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Buffalo, and other regions.
- Collaborate on policy, advocacy, and systems-change efforts that improve access, reduce stigma, and remove workforce barriers.
This partnership positions both organizations to better serve individuals seeking economic independence and to equip employers with the talent, training, and support needed to fuel long-term workforce success.
About Success Map Initiative
Success Map Initiative™ (SMI) is a New York–based workforce development and entrepreneurship organization dedicated to expanding economic mobility for youth, returning citizens, and underserved jobseekers. Through employer partnerships, second chance hiring pathways, business bootcamps, financial literacy training, and jail-based workforce programs, SMI helps individuals build careers while helping employers strengthen their teams.
About NYSID
New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID) is a statewide organization creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities by partnering with nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies. For more than 50 years, NYSID has helped advance economic inclusion through job creation, workforce solutions, and disability employment innovation.
