About Us

Improving Community Health & Economic Well-being

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.

TogetherNow, a community health organization in Rochester, NY

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.

Our Story

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

Data Governance & Operations Lead

Angee Brown

Senior Project Manager

Stephen Bryant

Community Engagement Specialist

Margaret Courtney

Partner Engagement Lead

Amanda DiLella

System Transformation Lead

Katelyn Freeman

Business Operations Administrator

Laura Gustin

Executive Director

Xavier Hope

Data Analyst

Kellie Johnson

Implementation Support Specialist

Nikisha S. Johnson

Assistant Director

Maria O’Brien

Project Lead

Marisol Otero

Administrative Specialist

Jeff Pettenski

Technical Lead

Shannon Robb

Implementation Support Specialist

Britanni Rodgers

Product Support Specialist

Sheila Strong, EdD

Chief of Staff

JoVonna Victor

Project Manager

Sara Volz-Rogers

Community Engagement Lead

Emma Williams

Communications Specialist

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.