Brad & Kathy Lambert - CoFounders

When Kathy Lambert first heard about the Dress for Success program in 1998, she thought it sounded like a great concept that could change lives. A little voice in her head that kept saying “I could help change lives” wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t long before she left a corporate training business and started Dress for Success Midwest. Little did she know at the time that she had taken the first step in creating an organization recognized as one of the leading innovators at breaking the cycle of poverty.

Once participants of the Dress for Success Midwest program landed a coveted job, it was soon discovered that the challenges didn’t end there. Childcare and transportation were issues, and changing the mindset to one of possibilities was inhibiting the potential for true transformation. And thus, Connections to Success was born! Her husband, Brad, joined the team and together they began offering additional programs inspired by their passion.

Today, over a decade later, Brad and Kathy’s vision for a holistic approach to ending the cycle of poverty one family at a time has touched thousands of lives. Together, they make a great team. Kathy focuses on building awareness on the nature of poverty and the unique approach employed by Connections to Success, while Brad provides operational leadership to the organization. Through their leadership and innovations in partnering with other organizations and faith-based initiatives, the organization continues to expand its impact by growing into new communities and adding additional programs that carry out the mission.