Building bridges to people who have been left behind.
Roots2Empower was founded by Tarshire Battle in 2020 to improve the lives of justice-impacted and low-income people in Southern New England.
Since then, our mission has expanded to address the root causes of poverty and mass incarceration, dismantling barriers to civic engagement and equipping people with the tools they need to shape just and equitable communities, rooted in regenerative, circular economies and a culture of cooperation, care, and belonging.
Portrait by Robert Easton
Roots2Empower was inspired by Tarshire’s first-hand experience witnessing the challenges that formerly incarcerated people face while reintegrating into society. In her work with the New England Center for Homeless Veterans and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, Tarshire saw her clients return to prison again and again due to system barriers preventing them from gaining employment, dignified housing, and access to basic needs like healthy food and sanitation. Tarshire also saw her brother face these challenges after being released from prison in the 1990s. Although he was determined to turn his life around, no one would hire him. But with Tarshire’s help, he was able to get a truck and start his own construction business. His business has been thriving ever since and makes it a point to hire justice-impacted folks.
Tarshire knew her brother’s success story could be felt by others, especially Black folk who face even higher barriers due to systemic racism. Many people in the criminal justice system face social and economic disadvantages that are passed over generations and often don’t have access to support once released. That’s why Roots2Empower’s signature entrepreneurship program focuses on providing direct support to formerly incarcerated individuals through business and financial training, complemented by our community garden that provides a means of connection to the earth, locally grown food, and agricultural education.
In recent years, Roots2Empower has expanded to address the root causes of poverty, environmental injustice, and mass incarceration. As a community convener, we are constantly investigating barriers our neighbors face and refining community-driven solutions to social disparities. These solutions are the focus of our advocacy efforts as we work to realize public policy that is robust and inclusive in its design and implementation. By providing our communities with the support and information they need to engage civically, they’re able to actively participate in shaping more just and equitable communities. We also work in underserved high schools to provide STEAM education, creating intentional learning experiences that support students to develop and maintain positive relationships, become lifelong learners, and contribute to a more caring and just world.
Roots2Empower is a member of the Rhode Island Environmental Education Association, New England for Offshore Wind, and the Ocean State Environmental Justice Alliance.
Meet the Team
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Tarshie Battle (she/her)
FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
An artist, herbalist, activist, master gardener, and entrepreneur, Roots2Empower is the product of Tarshire’s visionary thought leadership. Tarshire founded Roots in 2019, applying her degrees in Public Administration from Northeastern University and Mental Health Counseling from Boston University, to provide multi-faceted means of economic empowerment, environmental connection, and food access through education, training and advocacy.
Tarshire’s work has been featured in The Boston Globe, the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Uprise RI, The Business Journals, and The Valley Breeze. Tarshire is on Rhode Island Governor's Green Energy Workforce Advisory Committee, is on the board of Break the Cycle and Friends of the Moshassuck.
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Nicole DiPaolo (she/her)
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Nicole is an organizer, artist, consultant, and advocate for social justice. She is constantly synthesizing her professional and educational experience to build regenerative systems rooted in anti-racism. Nicole's leadership in local, regional, and national efforts to fight climate change with organizations like the National Wildlife Federation and the BlueGreen Alliance has centered on applying an energy justice lens and ensuring marginalized communities are at the forefront of the clean energy transition.
Nicole graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lasell College with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities with a Philosophy Concentration and Studio Art Minor. She has continued her education with hundreds of hours of training in anti-racism, facilitation, management, and clean energy.
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Clare Kim (she/her)
PROGRAM MANAGER
Clare is an educator, facilitator, and writer who has developed her craft for K-12 students and adult learners. A California native, her passion for environmental justice deepened after living through seasons of drought and wildfires. Clare joined the Roots 2Empower team in January 2025 to build organizational capacity for public education, advocacy, and community engagement. Prior to this Clare helped Providence’s Racial and Environmental Justice Committee develop their Green Justice Zones Curriculum.
Clare attended Brown University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Education Studies and Psychology and her Master of Arts in Teaching. Her professional experiences and ongoing training in nonviolent communication frame her approach to environmental justice and climate resilience work.
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James Monteiro (he/him)
BOARD MEMBER, EMERITUS
James is the founder and director of Reentry Campus. Reentry Campus provides workforce development and enrichment opportunities to youth ages 15 to 21 inside and outside RI's Adult Correction Institution ensuring a college degree pathway is integrated into the support systems needed upon release. Inspired by his own lived experience, James dropped out of school in the eighth grade and spent most of his adult life in and out of the penal system. It was within the Maryland Penitentiary in Baltimore that he earned an Associate’s Degree in Psychology, with Honors. Upon release, he earned a Bachelor’s in Community Development at Roger Williams University. James received the RI NAACP’s Joseph Lecount Award for his work founding the Billy Taylor House. He has been named as one of RI's "15 to Watch" for his work in youth programs that address violence in the city and prepare the next generation of Providence leaders.
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Jackie Jackson-Askie (she/her)
VICE PRESIDENT
Jackie Jackson-Askie is a social worker and a community organizer dedicated to improving the lives of underserved community members. Applying her Master’s in Social Work from Simmons University, Jackie helps organizations understand the barriers that people face in receiving resources and care that lead to a healthy lifestyle. Jackie's involvement with education, health, and political organizations includes the Ocean State Baptist Church, Liberian Community Association of Rhode Island, Back To School Celebration, and Providence Community Action Program.
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Darius Henderson (he/him)
BOARD MEMBER
Darius Henderson is a videographer, photographer, and life-long resident of Providence. He graduated from Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Arts in 2021 and launched his career as an entrepreneur, putting to work his passion for capturing cultural and political moments and events to inspire social action and joy. Darius' videography serves the Providence City Council, live streaming their council meetings so they are more accessible to community members. Darius joined the Roots 2Empower board in 2023 to apply his talent for creating engaging media to the vital mission of empowering at-risk youth and formerly incarcerated individuals.
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Justin Thomas (he/him)
BOARD MEMBER
Justin Thomas is a seasoned professional with diverse experience in community engagement, education, and case management. Currently serving as a Pathway Specialist at Roger Williams University since June 2023, Justin has previously worked as a Case Manager at Justice Assistance and an Educational Discharge Planner at the Reentry Campus Program. Additional roles include serving as a Community Health Worker at Lifespan, an Employer Engagement & Retention Specialist at Amos House, and a Program Assistant at Gateway to College National Network. Justin's early career features positions in broadcast production, including roles as an Operations Assistant at YES Network and a Freelance Reporter for It's Relevant, LLC. Justin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Production from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Justin is an example of what re-entry programming can do for students. As an incarcerated man in 2016 Justin was part of the very first cohort of Reentry Campus while still inside of Men’s Minimum-Security prison.
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Everett Pope (he/him)
BOARD MEMBER
From a young age, Everett was set on a path of social change. Starting as a volunteer with the Taft Street Community Garden in Pawtucket, Everett encouraged fellow garden members to have a community focus, allowing non-garden members to participate freely in the garden space. Now, Everett serves as the Vice President of Development for the Environment Council of Rhode Island and is involved with social and environmental justice organizations across the state, working to create a rainbow coalition of grassroots and traditional NGOs that can collaborate to advance intersectional policy that advances equitable progress, environmental protection, and racial justice. He has served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Groundwork Rhode Island, a Policy and Outreach Associate for the City of Providence, a volunteer with the George Wiley Center, and is a member of the Ocean State Environmental Justice Alliance.
As a community organizer and political strategist, Everett works on a wide range of issue areas including energy and climate, housing, and economic justice.
