Social Innovation · Lived Expertise · Systems Change

The wisdom that changes systems can't be Googled.

Our Lived Experience connects organizations with social innovators who hold the real answers — people who've navigated the systems they're working to transform.

Our Lived Experience community

What we do

For social innovators

You've lived the problem. We amplify your voice, connect you with organizations that need your expertise, and make sure your knowledge shapes the solutions.

How it works →

For organizations

We match you with the lived experts your work has been missing — people with firsthand knowledge in mental health, housing, criminal justice, family systems, and more.

How it works →

Offerings

How we support innovators
For innovators

Network & visibility

Get connected to organizations working on the challenges you know best.

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How we support organizations
For organizations

Consulting & matching

Technical assistance, facilitation, and lived experience matchmaking.

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Blog and podcast
Content

Blog & podcast

Ideas, stories, and tools from the people closest to the work.

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Our focus areas

6+
focus areas including mental health, housing & criminal justice
1
core belief: lived experience belongs at the center of systems change
collaborations with innovators and organizations nationwide
"This work is relational. It can't be scaled by algorithm — it grows through trust."
— Shannon Scott & Victoria Sale, Co-Founders, Our Lived Experience

Get involved

Talk to us

Whether you're an innovator, a funder, or an organization — we'd love to hear from you. We're always happy to talk.

Text (669) 577-9160 →

Invest in our work

OLE is actively seeking capital to grow our network and invest in social innovators. Your support directly funds the people closest to the work.

Donate or invest →

The newsletter worth reading.

People, ideas, and tools from the social service sector — from those who know it from the inside.