Be Your Best (BYB) is a local non-profit that empowers young adults with intellectual disabilities to live with purpose and independence by connecting them to meaningful job opportunities and providing tailored coaching, mentorship, and skills training for long-term workplace success.
OUR PROCESS
Through our highly individualized approach, we complete an extensive intake and training process with each participant before matching them with a small business.
Uncovering Your Best
This is our Information gathering phase where we communicate and collaborate with the individual, their family, teachers and past employers. This helps us understand the participant’s history, strengths, needs, and goals. Collaboration with families, businesses, and educators is key to long-term success.
Becoming Your Best
Through an internship, we work side-by-side with each participant to observe their abilities, build trust, develop rapport, and determine what support they need to succeed in a workplace setting. We provide one-on-one job coaching, workplace readiness training, and soft skills development.
Being Your Best
In our career connecting phase, we connect participants with jobs that align with their interests, abilities and strengths. We work with inclusive local employers who value their contributions. We provide training for a specific role and ongoing coaching to ensure long-term job satisfaction and growth.
BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYERS
Inclusive Workplaces
We partner with local businesses to help them embrace inclusive hiring practices, enriching their teams and creating a more supportive culture for all employees. Not only do BYB participants benefit, but our program has a lasting impact on businesses and their employees by encouraging growth among all employees.
Community Growth
When you hire through BYB, you contribute to a stronger, more inclusive community that values every individual's potential and enriches teamwork. It creates a supportive culture within the surrounding community and the people it serves.
BENEFITS FOR PARTICIPANTS & FAMILIES
Clear Path Beyond School
For many families, the transition after school can feel uncertain. BYB provides a structured, purposeful pathway during this critical stage, bridging the gap between school-based programs and adult life. Families gain clarity and peace of mind knowing their young adult has direction, momentum, and meaningful opportunities beyond the school environment.
Social Growth & Purpose
BYB helps young adults continue growing by fostering independence, purpose, and social connection. Through meaningful work, participants build confidence, friendships, and a genuine sense of belonging within the broader community, including opportunities to interact with neurotypical peers. This structure and sense of purpose allows individuals to thrive socially and emotionally, laying the foundation for a more fulfilling adult life.
Trusted Support
Families gain confidence knowing their young adult is supported every step of the way. BYB takes the time to understand each participant’s strengths, needs, and goals through close collaboration with families and educators. With individualized coaching, ongoing guidance, and consistent communication, families can feel reassured that their loved one is developing job skills in an environment that honors their dignity, well-being, and long-term success.
Long-Term Security
Through meaningful, paid work, participants begin earning income and building credit towards long-term social security benefits. This progress can help reduce financial strain over time and allows families to plan more confidently for their young adult’s future independence and stability.
OUR PARTNERS
Be Your Best partners with a variety of companies, nonprofits and other organizations to best serve our individuals. Our partners employ our participants, donate money, share ideas, provide volunteers and more to help BYB.
Contact us to get involved!
.png){kind=logo}
ABOUT US
Be Your Best, Inc. (BYB) is a nonprofit organization founded by Julie Kras and Katie Tingle. Julie and Katie are sisters who were raised to seek out ways to help others. They have always valued inclusion both in education and in real life experiences. Julie brings her experience as a special education teacher, both in inclusive and self-contained classrooms. Katie has extensive social work experience, as well as job coaching in a local transition program. Be Your Best was born in 2025 after many years of brainstorming various business ideas that incorporate their strengths and values.
%201.png)
