We don’t build programs. We co-create platforms—living structures that support the ideas already alive in people and places. Inspired by Paulo Freire’s belief that education is a shared, liberatory act—not something owned by experts—and by Steven Johnson’s insight that lasting innovation comes from networks and platforms, we exist to unlock what’s already possible.

EPIC Spanish isn’t a class. It’s a language bridge that opens doors to employment, civic engagement, and belonging. Residents gain not just vocabulary, but voice. It’s how we make the city more livable for everyone who calls it home.

The EPIC Gardens in York started on the margins—in alleys, empty lots, and memories. But they’ve become platforms for healing, gathering, and pride. These are places where grief and joy coexist, and where nature helps us reclaim space and story.

Neighborhoods Built by Neighbors is our boldest platform yet. It asks: What if residents were the developers? What if those who live in the neighborhood built its future—brick by brick, block by block? This is our way of making sure revitalization doesn’t mean displacement—but shared wealth and local control.

Tested during the pandemic, The EPIC WealthBuilders sparked real conversations about how everyday people could build wealth—not just individually, but together. We hit pause to do it right. Returning in 2026, this platform is being rebuilt with stronger tools, a clearer legal and financial foundation, and a vision aligned with Neighborhoods Built by Neighbors. Rooted in our EPIC Vision, it doesn’t assume wealth must be imported or handed down—it starts from what’s already present: skills, aspirations, hustle. Like Freire taught, it rejects the “banking model” of solutions. And like Johnson’s idea of the adjacent possible, it builds the next layer of opportunity using what’s right in front of us.

Before platforms like Neighborhoods Built by Neighbors and EPIC Gardens, we went block by block—four weekends at a time. The Street Meets were our laboratory: flyers, door-knocking, kid-friendly activities, free food, and conversations that lasted longer than the project cycle. The EPIC Markets built on that energy, transforming underused spaces along the Broad Street Greenway into vibrant hubs of music, vendors, and neighborhood life.

These weren’t just events. They were how we discovered what participation really means—not just showing up, but shaping what happens next. Like Freire, we believed in knowledge gained through relationship, not instruction. And like Johnson, we saw these gatherings as platforms that made new possibilities visible, then real. They shaped everything we do today.

Together, these platforms make The EPIC Vision real—where Empowerment, Participation, Innovation, and Community are not ideals, but everyday actions.