Michele Litt is not your typical executive director. She is a force powered by purpose, a strategist driven by heart, and a leader who has redefined what it means to serve from the inside out. Her journey with Hang Time—a transformative grassroots initiative supporting individuals returning from incarceration—is not a career move. It is a calling. One that demanded courage, compassion, and a radical shift from comfort to conviction.
In 2022, Michele made a bold decision—to leave her secure, full-time position and step fully into the mission of Hang Time. At the time, the organization had no formal budget. But Michele saw beyond the numbers. What she saw was a vision with the power to transform lives, families, and entire communities.
“Maybe this is it,” she said, reflecting on her second chance to make a meaningful impact.
And with that clarity, she chose not applause—but action.
She understood the complex realities people face after incarceration: stigma, trauma, and systemic barriers. Her response? Authenticity. Compassion. Consistency.
Michele leads with a team whose power lies in lived experience. Many Hang Time staff members were once participants themselves.
“Their voice is part of our organization,” Michele affirms.
In her leadership, the concept of hierarchy dissolves into shared humanity.
To Michele, inclusion is not a goal—it’s a culture. At Hang Time, every voice matters.
“We regularly give people the opportunity to say, ‘What are we doing well? What can we do better? What would you like to see us do?’”
Many of the organization’s current programs—like CHOICES, youth mentorship, academic scholarships, and HT Mobile’s cultural trips—originated from those very circles.
“We don’t have clients. Everyone here is Hang Time family,” Michele says.
“You’re my brother. You’re my sister. You’re my cousin. It’s the family you choose.”
And that family is growing—not by hierarchy, but by trust, belonging, and shared responsibility.
When asked how she measures success, Michele’s answer transcends spreadsheets.
Yes, the data is compelling: the recidivism rate among Hang Time participants is under 10%, while the national average hovers around 46%. But numbers alone don’t tell the story.
“We have grandparents, parents, and children,” she shares.
“And in one instance, in that type of a situation, one of the parents is a member of our staff. Her daughter is our childcare intern at 15. We’re raising the whole family.”
The transformation she witnesses isn’t theoretical—it’s generational. It’s visible in healed families, inspired youth, and lives once considered lost, now rewriting their future.
Despite Hang Time’s growing success, Michele is cautious about expansion.
“I don’t ever want Hang Time to be so big… where there’s no connection from senior management to the people we serve.”
Instead, she envisions a model that remains grassroots, intimate, and replicable:
“We provide a meal. We connect people to services. We treat them with respect. We teach them something they didn’t know. That formula—you can replicate that all over the country.”
Michele’s hope is both simple and seismic: fewer families separated by incarceration, more opportunities grounded in love and support, and a society that understands the power of second chances.
“No one’s entire life should be defined by their worst moments,” she insists.
To those returning home from prison, she offers this:
“Sometimes you need to get out of that comfort zone… If what you always knew and you always did led you astray… come to Hang Time. Join the family.”
Her guiding quote comes from Maya Angelou:
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Michele Litt lives by that truth. And so does everyone touched by Hang Time.
She is not just changing lives. She is helping reshape the soul of justice. The heart of healing. And the future of communities too often left behind.
Michele Litt is, without question, a beacon of courage, compassion, and conviction.
Her journey stands as a living testament to this issue’s theme:
Celebrating Freedom. Honoring Purpose. Inspiring Progress.
And through every life she helps restore, her legacy is already being written—in hearts, in homes, and in hope.
