Gabrielle Caverl-McNeal
Gabrielle entered the workforce development field in 2009 and has since operated in career coaching, job development, and employment training roles. Currently, she leads the Workforce Development Teams at New Moms that specialize in trauma-informed coaching practices with an executive skills framework to mitigate barriers caused by toxic stress and systemic poverty to advance parenting youth toward economic mobility. These promising practices support young moms in their journey to secure and advance in jobs by eliminating barriers to employment, creating opportunities to succeed, and offering career, financial, and academic coaching. Through a blend of classroom and paid on-the-job training at our social enterprise candle company, Bright Endeavors, participants develop and strengthen their professional skills and prepare to succeed in the Chicagoland workforce and beyond.
Gabrielle has worked with leading practitioners from around the country, engaging in leadership development activities, and using practical planning tools to develop effective workforce strategies to strengthen the local workforce system. She develops and presents state-of-the-art training throughout the country tackling topics about leadership, career advancement, sexual assault, domestic violence, and economic empowerment, and holds a MA in Communication and Training from Governors State University.
Gabrielle is a YSEALI Professional Fellow with the American Councils for International Education to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Southeast Asia, and an Economic Opportunity Fellow with Chicagoland Workforce Leadership Academy through the Chicago Jobs Council, the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, and the Aspen Institute & Economic Opportunities Program which works in navigating the workforce policy and funding environment; and combating disparities related to race, ethnicity, and gender in the labor market.
Favorite New Moms value: Grit
“The New Moms value I identify with most is grit. Grit is the tenacious ability to overcome setbacks and failures. It’s the self-starting engine that causes one to rise up and try again despite the odds, and that is what job training imparts through coaching, support, and resources that propel our young moms towards success and achieving their long-term goals. Grit is the tenacious ability to overcome despite setbacks and failures. It’s the self-starting engine that causes one to rise up and try again despite the odds, and that is what job training imparts through coaching, support, and resources that propel our young moms towards success and achieving their long-term goals.”
