ABOUT
Origami Works Foundation seeks to help Chicagoland's most impoverished citizens overcome barriers to earning a living. We remove obstacles to employment and make opportunities more visible. We work with community-based organizations, educational institutions, employers, and government agencies to identify opportunities to enable people to work. Then we partner with appropriate organizations, and fund and often staff and execute projects to meet our mutual goals.
Dani Houchin Petrie
Executive Director
Dani's commitment to addressing workforce issues across Chicagoland is palpable and it inspires the people around her.
Dani is the Executive Director and Managing Trustee of Origami Works Foundation. Dani spent most of her career as a management consultant, helping organizations of all kinds and sizes enhance the performance of their employees, through learning initiatives, change management efforts, and process improvements. Now she applies those skills to enhancing opportunity for Chicagoans seeking to overcome barriers to employment, opportunity youth, and first generation college students.
A first-generation college graduate herself, Dani has a degree in Public & International Affairs from Princeton University, and a Masters in Instructional Technology. from Columbia University. She also completed doctoral level coursework at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy.
January Miller, Embarc
Tami is the Program Officer at Origami Works Foundation providing support and direction on a variety of projects both past and present. She has spent her career in a diverse set of roles and sectors, including Office Management, Human Resources, and was the creator and proprietor of a small online crafts business for several years. Tami's unique career path has given her an ability to adapt and innovate, and she now uses that skill to help Origami Works Foundation succeed in its partnerships with Chicagoland workforce organizations.
Tami is a first-generation college graduate with a BA in Theatre & Dance from The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to her work with Origami Works Foundation she is a writer, performer, and advocate for the empowerment of girls and women.