Dr. Ruby Payne
As a former high school teacher and principal, Dr. Ruby Payne, Ph.D., understands the unique challenges facing schools and communities around the country. She shifted public conversation to consider the role poverty plays in many facets of American life and decided to teach others what she learned. Since founding aha! Process in 1996, Ruby has educated more than 100,000 professionals on economic class mindsets. She identifies problems, develops practical resources, and equips anyone and everyone who is ready to listen.
“Sometimes you don’t realize that you’re stuck because it has become a way of life…it’s normal! I was afraid to step outside the box, to become unstuck. There were untapped resources within the community that I hadn’t realized before. The Getting Ahead course helped me to realize that I wasn’t stuck and that there was hope for me.”
“Investigations is a valuable tool and the ‘missing piece of the puzzle’ for postsecondary academia. Students will not only assess their lives outside the walls of the classroom, but they will now be able to see how life outside the classroom impacts life inside the classroom. They’ll learn to make plans for themselves using resources available within the college and the community.”
“After I attended an aha! Process workshop in Denver in September, I brought my teacher leadership team to Houston for the Under-Resourced Learners Summit. We found many of the strategies we learned there to be so helpful that we have expanded their use beyond just students who are struggling. We now even use the student resource questions as part of our new-student registration materials, and then we match student needs with the resources that the teachers/advisors can support and deliver.”
Our Blog
Start the year strong: Building cross-sector alignment for 2026
A new year always brings a sense of possibility. Everything feels a little brighter, a little more hopeful—and it’s the perfect moment to set your sights on 2026. As you sketch out goals for the year ahead, I hope one of them is strengthening collaborations and partnerships. In today’s shifting landscape, thriving communities will be those that choose to work together. Financial resources are tightening, needs are rising, and working in isolated silos is no longer sustainable. Cross-sector collaboration isn’t just a strategy anymore—it’s a lifeline. During my years as the engagement manager at aha! Process, I’ve often joked that the most important resource for building a Bridges community is “lunch money.” While it gets a laugh, there’s a deeper truth behind it. In the Bridges Out of Poverty world, everything begins with relationships. And relationships take time, energy, and yes—sometimes a shared meal. “Breaking bread” creates space for conversations that spark [...]
Changing lives and mindsets in Wichita, Kansas
A typical gift for a second anniversary is cotton or china. While the HopeNet BridgesICT initiative may not receive either of those gifts, what they will receive are emails and phone calls asking for Bridges Out of Poverty workshops, asking how to set up Getting Ahead classes, information on available grant applications, and a cadre of people in the city that are ready and willing to help the initiative continue to grow. What started as a conversation around a table is blossoming into a movement, one that is changing lives and mindsets. When the HopeNet Wichita board agreed to make the BridgesICT initiative part of their mission, they had one full-time employee and one full-time volunteer. Two years later, there are six employees and dozens of volunteers making community connections, teaching how to have successful Getting Ahead classes, providing Bridges Out of Poverty workshops, and working on Staying Ahead options for Getting [...]