L.C. and Lillie Cox

L. C. and Lillie Cox lived their lives with perseverance, integrity, humility and dignity, and endeavored to honor the same in others.  They believed that every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their circumstances.​L. C. and

Lillie Cox Haven of Hope was created to carry on their legacy – offering all individuals, regardless of their economic or social status, the opportunity and support to cope, heal, and grow with dignity.

L.C. and Lillie Cox Haven of Hope (“Haven of Hope”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Through fiscal sponsorship, incubation and acceleration programs, the organization provides aspiring and emerging social enterprise leaders with the personalized guidance,  compassionate mentoring, and strategic insights that are crucial, but often unavailable, to nontraditional business leaders.

We Value

Earning the Trust of those we serve in our fight for Fairness and Equity.

Addressing each challenge with Honesty, Diligence and Belief.

Facing uncertainty with Hope and Integrity.

Serving with Empathy, Compassion and Caring.

Treating those we serve with utmost Respect.

Carrying ourselves with Warm Dignity.

Our mission is to improve the quality of life in traditionally underserved communities through dedicated human services and economic development programs.

We invision a world in which all individuals enjoy the equitable opportunity and the support to cope, heal and flourish to their fullest potential.

  • Supporting BIPOC Workers & Social Entrepreneurs

    •  Economic/Workforce Development

    •  Business Retention Programs

    •  Social Venture Fiscal Sponsorship

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  •  Fostering Social Change in Communities of Color

    •  Community-Based Participatory Action Research

    •  Sponsored Research

    •  Public Policy & Advocacy

    •  Thought Leadership

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  • Social Impact Initiatives that are grounded in the understanding that honoring the unique lived experiences of our participants is fundamental to their success.

    • Women’s Social Entrepreneurship Center

    • SF Disability Cultural Center

    • Caterpillar Club

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Our Services Approach

We recognize that the individuals we work with are whole human beings whose gifts are often overlooked by traditional service providers, and that they have tremendous ability to tap into their experiences as a source of resilience, creativity, and innovation.

Our work is grounded in the knowledge that honoring the unique lived experiences of those we work with is fundamental to their success. We use a trauma-informed approach that recognizes and honors our participants’ emotional scars and wisdom, and a social justice framework to promote diversity, equity, and unity.

Our approach, organizational policies, and practices aim to engender full equitable participation in the economy and beyond for our participants.

Meet Us

DARCELLE LAHR, EdD., MBA, PE

Dr. Lahr is the Founder and Executive Director of L.C. and Lillie Cox Haven of Hope, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization providing fiscal sponsorship, social entrepreneurship training, and community-based participatory action research in under-resourced communities.

Dr. Lahr earned her Doctorate in Education and her Master of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership from Mills College, is an honored graduate of the Transnational Executive MBA Program of CSU East Bay, and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

In addition, Dr. Lahr serves as Professor of Practice in the Business and Social Sciences Unit of Mills College at Northeastern University, and as Lecturer in both the Goldman School of Public Policy and the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Lahr’s passion is in providing compassionate, seasoned guidance to social change agents in transitioning from early-stage visionaries to purposeful, ethical leaders and governance directors. Her current programs address systemic inequities facing marginalized and systems-impacted individuals through social entrepreneurship and Transformative Social Innovation.

Dr. Lahr is also the Founder and President of Integral Consulting Group, a Black woman-owned management consulting practice supporting socially-minded entrepreneurs and small business owners in delivering valuable services to vulnerable communities.

BOARD MEMBERS

  • Darcelle Lahr

    BOARD CHAIR

  • Adele Cox

    BOARD MEMBER

  • Dagny Brown

    BOARD MEMBER

  • Ashley Adams

    BOARD MEMBER

  • Laura Victorino

    BOARD MEMBER

MANAGEMENT TEAM

  • Darcelle Lahr

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

  • Sandra Bernal

    DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS POLICY & INTERIM CFO

  • Damany Harden

    HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

  • Dagny Brown

    CO-DIRECTOR, SF DISABILITY CULTURAL CENTER

  • Mika Kie Weissbuch

    CO-DIRECTOR, SF DISABILITY CULTURAL CENTER

How You Can Support

By supporting our efforts, you promote and help strengthens the ties and opportunities for those striving for a better future.