About Us
Founded by people who experienced homelessness and were able to advance their careers in the housing and homeless sector to become executive leaders and nationally recognized experts, LEAP4ward understands the challenges to move onward and upward in the workplace. Our goal is to remove barriers and create opportunities and pathways for upward mobility of people with lived experience in the workplace.
Sean Whitten, Co-Founder
Sean is a global leader in the implementation of 100-Day Challenges, having worked with over 130 communities across the U.S. to strengthen systems supporting youth, families, single adults, and people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. As the CEO of RE!NSTITUTE, Sean developed and led strategies to address critical social issues—including homelessness, gender violence, healthcare, governance, and criminal justice—across communities worldwide.
With lived experience of homelessness and substance use, Sean brings a unique perspective to his work. His journey toward ending homelessness began after receiving housing and becoming a housing case manager in 2011. At WestCare CA, he grew the organization’s housing and homelessness program from one project to five, expanding its services to include Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, Navigation, Landlord Engagement, and Outreach.
Now, as the founder of Sean Whitten Consulting and co-founder of LEAP4ward, Sean supports housing and homelessness systems through joyful collaboration, purposeful action, and career advancement for people with lived experience. With more than15 years of experience in facilitation, cross-system collaboration, and action plan implementation, he continues to drive transformative change by bringing people together to turn shared goals into meaningful action.
Kris Freed, Co-Founder
Kris is a nationally recognized leader in homelessness systems with more than 25 years of experience advancing policy, innovative strategies, program design, and system operations. She has led transformative initiatives nationwide, including Government-Backed Master Leasing, Shared Housing, and Encampment-to-Home paired with Stabilization strategies, helping communities strengthen systems and improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.
As Chief Program Officer for LA Family Housing, Kris oversaw more than $60 million in annual program funding and a team of 425+ staff. She also served for more than a decade on the Los Angeles Continuum of Care Board, helping oversee $140 million in federal funding, and served on the CES Policy Council and SPA Steering Committees. She played a key role in developing and implementing Los Angeles’ first Family Coordinated Entry System and has built institutional knowledge across the complex homelessness sector through leadership grounded in equity, transparency, and collaboration.
Today, as managing partner of Impact Consulting Group and co-founder of LEAP4ward, Kris works with communities to strengthen homeless response systems while advancing career pathways for people with lived experience. Drawing from her own lived experience, she brings executive leadership, empathy, and practical solutions to complex challenges. She holds a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge, but is quick to say that what matters most is common sense paired with empathy—qualities she brings to every part of her work.