UPAC San Diego opened their coffee shop social enterprise and are brewing and selling Rise Up Industries coffee!
RUI Coffee is now available at Neighborhood Cafe ☕.
The Neigorhood Cafe is a non-profit social enterprise program operated by the Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC) and funded by the County of San Diego.
The Neighborhood Cafe features specialty coffees, teas, pastries, and beautifully crafted lunch options.
Here is the address to go and get your RUI Coffee and more!
Neighborhood Cafe
UPAC Neighborhood Enterprise Center
5296 University Ave., Suite A&B
San Diego, CA 92105
“The reality is that everyone who is involved in Rise Up, whether they’re the shop manager, the secretary, a mentor, these people really care. I know that I’m not going to get this type of training and care for well-being elsewhere. It’s not about giving us a skill to get into the workforce, they care about us and making the world a better place.” Joe Tapia (10/3/18)
Please click at the image to read the complete article!
Angel Ramirez was introduced to RUI by Steve Crabtree, who became Angel’s RUI Mentor.
Angel completed our 18-month program and became our second graduate on November 1st of this year. We are pleased to report that Angel was hired by Southcoast Welding and Manufacturing. During his 18 months with Rise Up Industries, Angel has been very involved with giving back and assisting others.
His volunteer work included:
* Serving at Father Joe’s Villages soup kitchen
* Speaking regularly with Justice Involved Youth at the Salvation Army on Thursday nights
* Speaking with the at-risk youth at the Passport to Life Career & Education Expo
* Leading efforts to create a local Criminal and Gang Member Anonymous (CGA) program
Additionally, Angel is one of the four authors of the recently published Writing After Life.
We are excited to have Angel in our Alumni Program, and know that he and Daniel (our first graduate) will help us to develop and grow this program!
Since February 2018, Leslie Willis has been volunteering weekly at Rise Up Industries.
Together, the members of Rise Up and Leslie created a program called “Writing After Life” as a space to share our stories with each other and the community. This program quickly became the focus of her Master of Arts in Social Innovation capstone project. They are currently in the final stages of writing a book of some of their stories from life before, during, and after incarceration.
We are beyond excited. The books have arrived and are ready to be sent to you, our supporters!
Buy your book now using this link: Buy it now!
Don’t miss out on a memorable evening set in a beautiful Ranch Santa Fe home, 6:30 PM, Friday, October 5, 2018

It’s a night you won’t forget! |
Meet Joe Gilbreath, founder of Rise Up Industries, and learn about RUI’s mission by reading a beautiful, featured article in SD Voyager Magazine. Thank you, SD Voyager, for sharing Joe’s interview!
People all over the world see San Diego as a city of sun, fun, and bustling enterprise. However, like many cities, San Diego has gangs. In 2017, it had 794 gang-related crimes including 1 homicide, 3 attempted homicides and 132 assaults with a deadly weapon. You can help our city reduce this problem by supporting RUI
Please click on SD Voyager Magazine logo to read the whole article!
Rise Up Industries gives former prison inmates a second chance
https://www.kusi.com/special-report-rise-up-industries/
Rise Up Industries in the news!
We had the honor to be at KUSI News this morning sharing our mission @ Good Morning San Diego
Congratulation to Joe ( RUI founder) Angel and Oscar ( 2 of our members in the program) to represent us very well! Thank you KUSI News for the opportunity
Please check it out the video: https://youtu.be/0AhBdfYJO8Y
Rise Up Industries has partnered up with Packed with Purpose!
Since their 2016 launch, they have been committed to creating meaningful impact through high-quality gifts. They handpick a variety of products for their gift boxes from Purposeful Purveyors who transform individuals and communities around us.
Your gift will have an impact! It will wow those who receive it while positively impacting local communities. The products in their gift boxes provide young women job skills, train homeless youth, reduce landfill waste, offer the formerly incarcerated new opportunities, and more.