Learn more about TogetherNow, our history, and how we’re fighting for a future in which every individual and family has the support, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.
Who Are We?
We’re a dedicated team of community advocates, change management experts, software engineers and data specialists who believe a more just and equitable world is possible through innovation, technology and, most importantly, people coming together for a common purpose.
Poverty has had a devastating hold on Rochester. TogetherNow was born from the collective effort to adequately serve our community’s most vulnerable.
Jan. 2016
Confusion and complexity are identified in the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge report as the main reasons many Rochester citizens fall through the cracks in the human service system.
Jan. 2016
Confusion and complexity are identified in the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge report as the main reasons many Rochester citizens fall through the cracks in the human service system.
Summer 2017
The Monroe County Systems Integration Project (SIP) begins. Congressman Joe Morelle calls on 40 local leaders in health, education, human services, public service, and funders to fix the disconnectedness, coordinate, collaborate, and imagine a system BUILT FOR PEOPLE.
There’s no easy way to fix a social system. There’s no easy way to unite people from all corners of a community. There’s no easy way to do something new.
But it's not about doing what's easy, it's about doing what's right.
Apr. 2019
SIP begins a 5-year contract with New York State, with United Way as the project’s fiduciary.
Apr. 2019
SIP begins a 5-year contract with New York State, with United Way as the project’s fiduciary.
Nov. 2019
SIP’s Charter is approved, with the goal to create and implement a person-centered, unified information platform to improve the health and economic wellbeing of individuals and families—especially those who are vulnerable and/or impacted by poverty.
Mar. 2020
COVID arrives in New York, and everything changes. A collective crisis, COVID is especially devastating to those already experiencing the crisis of poverty. Our work shifts in response.
Mar. 2020
COVID arrives in New York, and everything changes. A collective crisis, COVID is especially devastating to those already experiencing the crisis of poverty. Our work shifts in response.
Summer 2020
In the throes of a pandemic, coordination is more vital than ever. We begin designing a workflow to ease the process of seeking emergency rental assistance (the Eviction Prevention Pilot Initiative) and emergency food delivery.
Jan. 2021
We use similar tactics of partnering with the county and community-based organizations to streamline the rollout of COVID vaccines in 2021.
The role we played in the COVID response helped confirm everything we believed in: that outcomes would be better and people would be better off if the county, local organizations, schools, and healthcare providers seamlessly collaborate.
May 2021
IBM signs on to help build the shared information platform. Our team, IBM, community members, and a growing network of service providers develop MyWayfinder, a website where people seeking services could find and collaborate with providers from any sector in one secure place, and where those providers could coordinate with each other in delivering care.
May 2021
IBM signs on to help build the shared information platform. Our team, IBM, community members, and a growing network of service providers develop MyWayfinder, a website where people seeking services could find and collaborate with providers from any sector in one secure place, and where those providers could coordinate with each other in delivering care.
Jan. 2022
We start work on the Monroe County Community Integration Initiative, partnering with DHS to reimagine how they reach the community.
Apr. 2022
MyWayfinder 1.0 launches for a select group of providers to test with clients.
But the project had become more than just a platform.
Apr. 2022
MyWayfinder 1.0 launches for a select group of providers to test with clients.
But the project had become more than just a platform.
Jun. 2022
We become TogetherNow—dedicated to putting the future of the community in the hands of the community, making decisions as a collective, forming connections, and showing what’s possible when we dream big and build together.
Meet the Staff
The team behind the work
Regina Bradley
Director of Compliance & Data Governance
Angee Brown
Senior Vice President of Product & Portfolio Management
Stephen Bryant
Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator
Margaret Courtney
Network Engagement Lead
Amanda DiLella
Director of Network Performance
Katelyn Freeman
Business Operations Administrator
Laura Gustin
President
Xavier Hope
Data Analyst
Kellie Johnson
Implementation Support Specialist
Nikisha S. Johnson
Senior Vice President of Integrated Care
Maria O’Brien
Director of Partner Development & Innovation
Marisol Otero
Administrative Specialist
Jeff Pettenski
IT Solutions Director
Shannon Robb
Project Manager & Implementation Support
Britanni Rodgers
IT Operations Lead
Sheila Strong, EdD
Chief of Staff
JoVonna Victor
Project Manager
Sara Volz-Rogers
Director of Network and Community Engagement
Mel Wade
Senior Project Manager
Emma Williams
Brand & Communications Manager
Cultural Priorities & Values
TogetherNow staff, volunteers, organizations, and anyone connected to Systems Integration are expected to approach their work and our community with the following priorities and values:
Be Transparent, Be Accountable, Be Community Focused, Be Agile, and Be Respectful and Listen.
Commitment to Equity
All staff and volunteers who are part of TogetherNow formally and adamantly affirm their commitment to creating a reimagined system that is equitable, just, and anti-racist. Participation from community members is actively sought, and all of our projects are evaluated through a community-led Equity Review process.