Social Enterprise Projects Fostering Youth Employment

Karl Erickson, Youth Programs Manager, Elpis Enterprises

Before joining Elpis as our Woodworking Program Manager in September of 2022, Karl worked as a teacher at Higher Ground Academy in St. Paul, MN. There, he authored and coordinated a “No Child Left Inside” MN DNR grant which helped with nature-based exploration (primarily ice fishing) and maintained partnerships with Tickets 4 Kids, Free Bikes 4 Kids, Ardent Outdoor Group, and Adam Thielen Foundation Charities. These experiential activities empowered students inside and outside of their traditional school days with non/traditional experiences. Other relevant work experiences include being a floral box builder and social media marketer for Wholesale Wicker Baskets, LLC. He is also a two-time Iraq War Veteran who served seven years in the Minnesota Army National Guard.