Parklife Supports Six United Way SIA Fellows Ahead of Demo Day
Every year, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Social Innovation Accelerator (SIA) brings together some of North Texas’s most promising social innovators–organizations working at the intersection of education, income, and health to create real, scalable impact. As Demo Day approaches, the stakes are rising. SIA cohort members will be presenting their work, articulating their impact, and competing for advancement toward The Pitch, the accelerator’s grand finale.
Parklife is honored to once again support six standout cohort members as they prepare for Demo Day: Restorative Farms, Helen’s Project, From Ordinary to Extraordinary (FOTE), Cooking for the Crowd, Dotted, and Oak Cliff Empowered. Each organization has a distinct mission, but all share a deep commitment to serving their communities with dignity, innovation, and heart.
Meet the Organizations Driving Change
Restorative Farms is growing far more than fresh produce. Through urban farming, workforce training, and community-driven programs, the organization addresses food insecurity in underserved Dallas neighborhoods while creating economic pathways in agriculture. Their work combines sustainability, education, and empowerment and is rooted in the belief that access to healthy food and meaningful employment can transform communities.
Helen’s Project is tackling one of the most urgent needs in our region: access to affordable, culturally responsive mental health care. Built on trauma-informed principles, the organization provides therapy, psychiatry, and community-based support designed to help individuals and families heal, feel understood, and build long-term stability, removing systemic barriers that too often stand in the way of care.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary (FOTE) supports survivors of domestic violence on their journey toward lasting self-sufficiency. Through accredited career training, transitional housing, and holistic wraparound services, FOTE helps women build economic independence while breaking cycles of trauma.
Cooking for the Crowd believes that nourishment is about more than food–it’s about love, dignity, and community. By providing hot meals to underfunded nonprofit partners across Dallas, they allow social service organizations to focus on their missions while ensuring that no one is left without care at the table.
Dotted is a coordinated menstrual health platform that turns a one-time lesson into a lifelong care pathway. Through symptom tracking, education, care navigation, and sustainable period products, Dotted enables earlier intervention, reduces diagnostic delays, and helps girls and women access informed, continuous support for better long-term health outcomes.
Oak Cliff Empowered (OCE) is a community-driven initiative where people and businesses thrive together. Rooted in the mission of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce, OCE strengthens Southern Dallas through hands-on workforce training and entrepreneurship in food and hospitality.
Our Continued Partnership with the SIA
We’re thrilled to help these organizations refine their storytelling, sharpen their messaging, and prepare to communicate their impact. This moment is a celebration of the missions, the people, and the communities behind the work.
Our involvement builds on Parklife’s long-standing partnership with the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Social Innovation Accelerator, where we support fellows through marketing, branding, and strategic communication. The SIA’s investment of human, social, and financial capital creates space for social entrepreneurs to scale their work.
We’re inspired by these six organizations and grateful to play a small role in helping them step into the spotlight. We’ll be cheering them on as they move one step closer to The Pitch and continue making change across North Texas.
