Challenges and Blessings

Isis Harris is a Native Oregonian who grew up in Northeast Portland during the era when Portland gangs were cementing themselves into the community. As an adolescent she witnessed her share of chaos and gang violence, seeing a 16 yr old neighborhood friend take his last breath after being gunned down just a block from her home. Isis was a teen parent, a foster youth having lost her mother at a young age, and high school dropout who had accepted trauma as a part of life.

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As an early adult she was charged with her first felony and many years later charged with a second felony that led to a lengthy sentence of 5 years 10 months. While incarcerated she examined her life, all the missteps and misinformation that had led her down a path rife with hardship and hard people. She vowed that she would make the changes she needed to make to ensure her sons would know that no matter the circumstances, there was always the chance to redirect and move forward. She had to prove to herself that she was more than a culmination of her mistakes and worthy of a better future.

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Upon release Isis put in the work to not only accomplish the goals she set in prison but to establish herself solidly in a career. Future plans were almost derailed when one of her son's was the victim of gun violence. Despite the hopelessness, uncertainty and pain that stemmed from that experience she continued to push forward. She became a Licensed Commercial Industrial Electrician in both Oregon and Washington, a College Graduate, a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, an Equity Based Mediator and in 2001 she founded 3v3ryday Grind. Isis has been intentional in gang and prison outreach since 2011 visiting both adult and juvenile facilities to spread hope and dispel myths about life's mistakes preventing future progress. Due to her commitment to making a marked change in her community she was granted a pardon in 2022 by then Govenor Kate Brown. 

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Following the creation of 3v3ryday Grind (whose logo pays homage to her 3 sons and the career that offered her a solid foundation) Isis wanted to do more to impact justice impacted and low-income communities so she created the Community Pulse Series Fueled by the extensive connections developed over a decade of involvement in the construction industry, the series was born connecting job seekers directly to industry stakeholders! The series has since moved into the local school systems to encourage youth from marginalized communities to explore career options following graduation.

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Isis has remained committed to not only continuing to better herself as a person but also the community around her in an effort to make the world a better place. She is currently teaching Pre-Trades and Apprenticeship at Columbia River Correctional Institution, she sits on the Board of both  Oregon Tradeswomen and Pathfinders Network, she is a member to the Prosper Portland Action Leadership Committee, and the Diane Wade Advisory Council, as well as a member in good standing with the International Brotherhood of International Workers, the National Association of Minority Contractors, and is a dynamic personality with a vested interest in the future of her community. If you would like to know more about our founder click here