We are disrupting harm and designing better futures

Safe Places was created to reimagine how organizations lead, serve, and grow—by centering people, healing harm, and building systems that truly support.

We’re rooted in relationships and driven by impact

Every partnership starts with listening. Our founder believes in walking alongside organizations—not ahead of them—to co-create solutions that work. This photo captures just one of many moments where collaboration led to real change, as we helped this team build capacity, secure funding, and move their mission forward. Your success is our purpose.

Why Safe Place exists

Safe Places Coaching & Development was born from lived experience—raised by a single mother on the South Side of Chicago, I witnessed how unsafe, unstable work environments can unravel a family’s entire sense of stability. My mother was not an underperformer—she was unsupported. And that pattern, repeated across job after job, shaped my earliest understanding of how deeply employment conditions affect a person’s life.

I’ve worked since I was 14. I’ve seen the inside of great organizations—and the damage caused by toxic or disorganized ones, especially when they’re supposed to serve children and communities. I’ve studied leadership and management. What I know for sure is this: if you are not intentional about the environment you create, the environment will create itself—and it will cost people more than you realize.

Safe Places exists to help leaders get intentional. We work with small businesses, nonprofits, and youth-serving organizations to align their intention with their impact—because when there’s a disconnect, people get hurt. Our work ensures your systems, strategies, and services are trauma-informed, people-centered, and purpose-driven. When people come to you for help, they should leave lighter, not heavier. That’s what we help you create. That’s the kind of world we’re building—one safe place at a time.

Choose Safe Places for your development needs

where workplaces, especially in community-serving sectors, are intentional, trauma-informed, and aligned with their mission to heal and empower. We believe a safe workplace is only sustainable when the people within it are equipped, supported, and valued.

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Meet the Founder

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Meet the Founder 〰️

I’m Jada Smith!

I am the writer, visionary, and builder of Safe Places. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, I’ve always been driven by a desire to create spaces where people feel seen, safe, and supported. Watching my mother navigate unsafe and unstable workplaces showed me early how deeply work impacts home. I got my first job at 14—not just to earn money, but because I understood the cost of instability. That understanding has shaped everything I do.

Before founding Safe Places Coaching & Development, I led training, development, and operational strategies across nonprofits, universities, school districts, and global organizations. I’ve managed multi-million-dollar programs, trained over 40 organizations statewide, and supported grantees in navigating compliance, strategy, and sustainability. My background spans youth development, workforce readiness, leadership coaching, and public policy—work that’s always been rooted in helping people and organizations show up stronger.

Now, through Safe Places, I help nonprofits, small businesses, and faith-led organizations grow with clarity, structure, and sustainability. I specialize in grant development, capacity-building, and workforce initiatives that move people from ideas to impact.

I don’t claim to have all the answers—but I do know how to help you use the ones you already have. Your team lives the work every day. Sometimes, they just need a safe environment and the right support to bring their knowledge forward. That’s where I come in. I help you build what you already know needs to exist—and make it sustainable.

Our core values

We believe that meaningful growth starts with strong roots. Our values guide how we show up—for our clients, our communities, and each other.

Sustainability
We prioritize long-term impact over short-term fixes. Our work is rooted in building solutions that last across generations.

Community Development
We believe change happens locally. We invest in people, neighborhoods, and systems to build stronger, more resilient communities.