Would Works Board of Directors

connor johnson

Connor Johnson, Founder + Board Chair

Connor founded Would Works with the help of his parents in 2012. Connor had been working as a Case Manager at a homeless shelter in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles when he saw a need for Would Works.

Currently, Connor has over ten years of experience in social services and housing for people experiencing homelessness. Connor is currently a Senior Program Manager for CSH as a regional consultant for supportive housing and reducing homelessness.

Prior to CSH, Connor worked in Washington DC for Fortitude Housing DC Catholic Charities directing their Supportive Housing Program and managing a team of 24 Social Workers and Case Managers, serving more than 200 individuals and 90 families.

Prior to working in Washington DC, he worked for seven years in Los Angeles. He worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Housing for Health as a Program Manager working with partners serving frequent users of the County Health System. While there he developed and implemented the C3 outreach program to provide comprehensive outreach in the Skid Row area of downtown. His work experience in Los Angeles also included working at a Supportive Housing developer, managing interim housing programs and working with the Coordinated Entry System.

Connor holds a Master’s degree in Urban & Regional Planning from UCLA, a BA from DePaul University and a BA in Business Administration from Linkoping University in Sweden.

tyler fong

Tyler Fong, Treasurer

Tyler Fong has worked alongside vulnerable populations for over 16 years during his career in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County. Currently, Tyler is the Senior Director of Program Initiatives at Brilliant Corners, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to using housing as a healthcare intervention/solution for individuals experiencing homelessness. While with Brilliant Corners, Tyler was one of the program design architects for the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool, a nationally recognized rental subsidy and housing administration program in Los Angeles, that has housed over 4,000 Angelenos since 2013.

Tyler is a novice woodworker and loves industrial design (a career path he explored in another lifetime). Being a member of the Would Works Board is a tremendous opportunity for him to combine two of his passions to continue to support those in need of support to make strides in their independence and life.

stephanie ragle

Stephanie Ragle, Secretary

Stephanie is a licensed architect and co-owner of office42 architecture and she has an undergraduate degree in Architecture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she spent one year studying in Copenhagen, Denmark. After working for a number of years, she earned her graduate degree in Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Throughout her career she has also traveled extensively and worked in Pune, India, and New York City. In New York she worked on commercial interiors with Studios Architecture on complex projects such as showrooms, trading floors, and office interiors. While in New York, she also worked for the design-build architecture and construction management firm, Peter Gluck & Associates (now Gluck +), where she learned the that an architect’s ownership of a project doesn’t stop at design but must continue through budgeting, scheduling, and construction.

Uday Ram

Uday is a Founding Partner at CVL Economics, a consulting firm focused on equitable development in the creative economy. With over 20 years of experience in planning, he reimagines opportunity, growth, and well-being. Previously, he led the Sustainable Growth and Development practice at Beacon Economics and advised Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office of Resilience, among other roles. Uday holds a BA in economics from Cornell University and graduate degrees from Georgetown University and UCLA. Passionate about leveraging the creative economy, he looks forward to building a collaborative relationship with Would Works to enhance their mission and impact.

Jasmine Brizuela

Jasmine is currently a Program and Operations Officer at the Arlene and Michael Rosen Foundation. She is a first-generation Salvadoran American who grew up in the San Fernando Valley. With over 10 years of experience in direct services, she has made an impact in areas such as supportive housing, domestic violence, incarceration, immigration, substance abuse, and public and mental health. Her passion for helping vulnerable populations led her to join Wood Works, where she values the opportunity to provide essential resources like employment services through the power of creativity.

Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman is an actor, writer and woodworker, best known as the character of Ron Swanson on NBC’s hit comedy series “Parks & Recreation.” He has written four New York Times bestselling books including Paddle Your Own Canoe, Gumption, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (written with his wife, Megan Mullally), and Good Clean Fun about his very own Offerman Woodshop and the charismatic group of woodworkers who make up the crew.

In his spare time, he can be found at his woodshop in Los Angeles building hand-crafted items ranging from fine furniture to canoes to ukuleles. Coming from a long line of farmers, Nick has a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of hard work, and making things by hand. His support of Would Works is rooted in his firm belief that all people, regardless of their circumstances, should have the opportunity to build.

Harold Greene

Harold Greene continues to be the go-to designer/craftsman for clients looking for expert craftsmanship and contemporary design sensibilities in the execution of their challenging projects. Whether it’s custom carved doors, bespoke furniture from urban timber or careful restorations of valuable objects, his expertise essential to individuals, institutions and public art agencies.

Greene’s work graces numerous homes in the Greater Los Angeles area and beyond, and has been featured in galleries and museums, notably, the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery where he was honored with the prestigious COLA Fellowship in 2015. Greene is also a skilled luthier and a multi-instrumentalist who performs using his own hand made basses and guitars. He also co-produces the yearly Fortnight Concert Series bringing original music to the historic Fort McArthur bunkers, deep underground.

Donna Kirkner

Donna Kirkner was admitted to the California State Bar in December 1980 and currently has her own firm, the Law Office of Donna Kirkner, A Professional Law Corporation. Her career has been devoted to the practice of construction law, representing general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, homeowners and sureties. It was this love of construction law that inspired her love of woodworking and building things with her hands.

Donna is currently an officer of the Small Firms and Solo Practitioner Section and of the Senior Lawyers Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She is a former Chair of the Construction Law Subsection of the Real Property Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She serves as a mentor to other, younger, construction attorneys who avail themselves of her vast knowledge of construction law. She learned the value of service from her father, who was career military, and from her mother, who imbued her children with a sense of responsibility for those less fortunate. Donna considers serving on the Would Works Board of Directors to be a privilege and an honor, in furtherance of the lessons learned from her parents.

Timothy Jordan

Originally from Washington and raised in California, Timothy's journey with Would Works began when he connected with the organization through a case manager at Jovenes, a program supporting youth facing homelessness. Motivated to build a better future, he joined the Beginners Builder Program, gaining essential skills to start his path in woodworking. Timothy’s dedication led him to the Advanced Community Builders Program, where he further honed his skills and expertise. His hard work and perseverance eventually earned him a role at Angel City Lumber, where he contributes as a key team member. Now a board member of Would Works, Timothy is committed to giving back to the community that supported his own growth.

Jill Allemand

Jill grew up in South Louisiana with two woodworking hobbyist parents—her father crafts the pieces while her mother adds the finishing touches. She graduated from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA, and later pursued graduate studies at LSU. With 25 years of experience in entertainment marketing, she has worked with FOX Broadcasting Company, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television, and Sony Pictures Television. In her spare time, Jill can often be found baking or being playfully bossed around by her two dogs.

Michael Aldana

Michael brings 10 years of experience in supporting the re-entry population, with a focus on assisting individuals transitioning to the workforce. He spent four years working with youth transitioning from juvenile detention or camps through the LAUSD STRIVE program, followed by his work at Central High School/Tri-C. Additionally, Michael has two years of experience in gang intervention with the GRYD program, working in the Rampart 1, Rampart 2, and Hollywood zones. Michael hopes to use his extensive background in re-entry and community support to help those at Would Works seeking to rebuild their lives.