Today we’d like to introduce you to Katelyn Smith.
Hi Katelyn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey definitely wasn’t a straight line.
When I was younger, I lost my mom when I was 19 years old, and for a long time I struggled with a lot of things that stemmed from that loss. Eventually, those choices led me down a path that resulted in an eight-year prison sentence. I served four years incarcerated and completed the remainder on parole.
As difficult as that season was, it ended up changing the direction of my life in ways I never could have imagined. While incarcerated, I began looking at life differently and asking myself what I wanted my future to stand for. I saw firsthand how many women were returning home with little to no support and how overwhelming reentry can be.
After my release, I became determined to be part of the solution. What started as a desire to help a few women grew into R.I.S.E. (Rebuild, Independence, Self-Love, Empowerment), a nonprofit dedicated to helping women successfully transition from incarceration back into their communities.
Today, I serve as the founder and president of R.I.S.E., and our team has had the privilege of helping hundreds of women with everything from hygiene essentials and clothing to encouragement, resources, and ongoing support. I also own a couple of small businesses, but the heart of everything I do comes back to helping people realize that their past doesn’t have to determine their future.
If you had told me years ago that I’d be leading a nonprofit, speaking to groups, advocating for women, and helping others rebuild their lives, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But looking back now, I can see how every chapter—even the difficult ones—helped prepare me for the work I’m doing today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not. In many ways, some of my biggest challenges came after I was released.
One of the hardest parts of my journey was losing my dad just weeks before I came home. For years, I had imagined what reentry would look like, and my dad was a huge part of that picture. I expected him to be there when I got home, and losing him completely changed the plan I had built in my mind. Instead of coming home and celebrating a new chapter with him, I was grieving while trying to rebuild my life at the same time.
There were a lot of practical challenges too. Reentry is hard. You’re trying to find your footing, rebuild relationships, create stability, and prove to yourself and others that you’re more than the worst decision you’ve ever made. There were moments of doubt, moments of frustration, and moments when the future felt overwhelming.
What carried me through all of it was my faith. My relationship with God became the foundation I built everything else on. There were many times when I couldn’t see the next step, but I trusted that God could. Looking back now, I can see His hand in every part of my story, even in seasons that were painful and confusing at the time.
The challenges haven’t disappeared. Running a nonprofit comes with its own obstacles, and serving a population that is often misunderstood can be difficult. But every struggle has strengthened my conviction that this work matters. The women we serve remind me every day that redemption is real, second chances matter, and no story is beyond hope.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about R.I.S.E.?
R.I.S.E. stands for Rebuild, Independence, Self-Love, and Empowerment, and our mission is simple: to ensure that no woman walks out of prison feeling alone, forgotten, or unworthy of a second chance.
We serve women transitioning from incarceration back into their communities. While many people think reentry begins when someone is released, we know it starts long before that. We work with women before they come home, help them prepare for release, connect with them in halfway houses and transitional facilities, and continue supporting them as they rebuild their lives.
What makes R.I.S.E. different is that we don’t just hand someone a bag of supplies and send them on their way. We build relationships. Many of the women we serve have lost family support, lack resources, or simply need someone to believe in them. We walk alongside them through some of the hardest moments of their journey.
Our support can include release-day essentials, dignity bags, clothing, hygiene items, interview attire, work shoes, encouragement, referrals, mentorship, and ongoing connection. But more than anything, we provide hope. We want every woman to know that her past does not determine her future.
As someone who has personally experienced incarceration and reentry, I understand many of the challenges our women face. That lived experience allows us to meet women where they are with compassion rather than judgment.
What I am most proud of is that R.I.S.E. has grown from a conversation about what should exist into a movement that has helped hundreds of women each year. Every number represents a real person, a real story, and a real opportunity for a new beginning. At the end of the day, our goal is not simply to help women survive reentry. It’s to help them believe they are worthy of thriving beyond it.
What are your plans for the future?
The future of R.I.S.E. is something I get really excited about because there is still so much work to do.
Right now, Texas releases women five days a week, but due to resources, we are currently able to consistently serve three days a week. One of our biggest goals is to expand that outreach so we can be present all five release days and ensure that every woman who comes through has access to support, encouragement, and basic necessities.
We also see a growing need for safe, stable housing. One of the hardest realities of reentry is that some women are released with nowhere to go. Long term, I would love to see R.I.S.E. develop a transitional housing community where women can find not only a safe place to stay, but also a supportive environment that helps them rebuild their lives. Whether that looks like a home, a campus, tiny homes, or another model, we know the need exists and we want to be part of the solution.
I’m also excited about expanding our pre release support, strengthening our mentorship programs, and creating more opportunities for women to stay connected long after they return home. Reentry is not a one day event. It’s a journey, and we want to continue walking alongside women throughout that process.
On a personal level, I dream big. One day, I would love to see the work of R.I.S.E. reach beyond Texas and potentially serve women returning from federal prisons as well. I don’t know exactly what that path looks like yet, but I’ve learned that some of the best things in my life started as a simple conversation and a willingness to trust God with the details.
At the heart of every future plan is the same mission we’ve had from the beginning: helping women discover that their story isn’t over and that a new chapter is possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.riseupbeyond0720.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate_riseup
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Ejk9Uxj7v/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kate_riseup
