Organization: Forge City Works, Hartford, CT
Title: Lead Case Manager
Nominated by: Ben Dubow, Executive Director
Logan has been with us in his current role for about three years, though he first worked for us years ago as a Barista at our Hartford Public Library cafe location. Logan is our first in-house case manager and has created that department within our Programs Team.
Logan has been a driving force in reshaping and implementing our revised Theory of Change at Forge City Works. He teaches our Emotional Regulation/CBT classes, coordinates regular one-on-one meetings with every trainee, and designed and oversees our Mentoring Program. He also helped build our ladders and evaluation tools for soft and life skills, tightening the connection between day-to-day training and long-term outcomes.
What sets Logan apart is how he combines clinical insight with deep relational skill. He takes a positive youth development approach, uses CBT tools in accessible, practical ways, and consistently models trauma-informed practice. He is a steady advocate for our trainees and for the integrity of our training model.
Logan is a true catalyst for change—pushing us to innovate at the organizational level while staying present to each individual trainee. He has also been instrumental in building pathways with partners like COMPASS Youth Collaborative, Roca Hartford, and The Village, extending our impact across the community.
Logan has played a key leadership role in expanding Forge City Works’ training into a three-level, 18-month, non-timebound model grounded in our new Theory of Change. Under this revised structure that he helped design and implement, our team served 51 trainees in a single quarter (PY26 Q1), including 30 youth, and recorded 267 documented case-management touchpoints with trainees, along with 843 skills ladders submitted during the quarter.. Logan’s hands-on work—teaching CBT/emotional regulation, coordinating 1:1 meetings, and overseeing our mentoring program—has been central to translating this new design from paper into real, measurable gains in stability and employment for our trainees.
Most mornings, Logan starts by checking in with trainees as they arrive—quick conversations in the kitchen, the classroom, or over coffee to gauge how people are really doing. He then leads Emotional Regulation/CBT groups, using real-life kitchen and customer-service scenarios to help trainees practice tools for managing stress, conflict, and self-doubt on the job.
Throughout the day, Logan rotates through scheduled one-on-one meetings, where he and each trainee review goals, barriers, and next steps in our three-level, 18-month program. He updates soft-skill ladders and case notes, and coordinates with mentors to make sure trainees have consistent adult support beyond the classroom.
Logan also meets regularly with our culinary and front-of-house supervisors to align training plans with what’s happening on the line or in the restaurant, and he connects with partner organizations to smooth referrals and shared support. His day is a mix of direct care, coaching, careful documentation, and behind-the-scenes coordination that allows our program model to work.
Catalyst Kitchens has significantly amplified Logan’s impact by equipping him with tools, peers, and perspective beyond our local context. Through regional summits and Train the Trainer opportunities, Logan has been able to deepen his knowledge of best practices in culinary workforce development and bring them home to Forge City Works in concrete ways.
He has adapted curriculum ideas, coaching frameworks, and assessment tools he encountered through the Catalyst Kitchens program model and our mentoring and soft-skills ladders. Just as importantly, Catalyst Kitchens has given Logan a network of colleagues doing similar work across the country.
SPECIAL ALERT!
Thanks to a generous donation from a founding Catalyst Kitchens board member and friend of David Carleton, the Catalyst Kitchen’s Founder’s Fund has an opportunity to raise matching funds up to $5,000 during this year’s Catalyst for Change Award Season!
This is a time-limited opportunity to get your gift matched! Donate now by clicking the button below, before the window closes, to double your generosity and impact!
Here are the 2025 Catalyst for Change. As you read their stories, consider supporting the work of Catalyst Kitchens and our members, enabling the amazing impact of frontline staff like our nominees.
