Rooted in Purpose
Ribbon was created from proximity. To the work. To the people. To the urgency.
Founded by Linda H Scruggs and Vanessa Johnson, Co-Executive Directors, Ribbon began with a belief that communities living with HIV were already leading, already building, and already creating solutions that deserved greater investment and support. The work was shaped by lived experience, trusted relationships, and a commitment to advancing health equity.
Ribbon grew because the people closest to the work always knew what communities needed. The organization simply built what the work required.
How the Work Took Root
Before Ribbon became a national nonprofit, the work lived in relationships. Early partnerships taught us that meaningful progress happens when technical expertise is paired with deep respect for community knowledge.
Those early years established a way of working that still defines Ribbon today. We show up prepared. We listen carefully. We adapt with intention. And we stay accountable to the communities who trust us to do this work well.
This foundation made growth possible without losing our center.
The accompanying photograph, taken in 2012, features founders Linda H Scruggs and Vanessa Johnson during Ribbon’s early years as the organization was taking shape.
We started by listening. Everything else came from that.
Becoming Ribbon
Ribbon transitioned fully into a national nonprofit because the scale of the work demanded it. What began in close partnership with communities expanded into a formal structure designed to support long-term impact, sustainability, and reach.
Throughout that transition, Ribbon remained anchored in the leadership, values, and relationships that shaped its earliest days. The work deepened without losing its grounding. Growth did not require distancing from community; it required building systems that could hold the work with care and accountability.
The name Ribbon reflects what we believe and how we operate: connection, care, strength, and continuity.
The Work Today
Today, Ribbon operates as a center of excellence with national reach and deep local roots. Our programs amplify the voices of people living and aging with HIV, support organizations advancing health equity, and cultivate leadership grounded in lived experience.
We remain committed to advancing the physical, mental, and spiritual well being of Black women and girls. This work is not abstract. It is relational, intentional, and rooted in love for the communities we serve.
The work continues because it must.
Carrying It Forward
Ribbon exists because community deserves more than good intentions. It deserves sustained investment, thoughtful leadership, and spaces where truth, dignity, and possibility can coexist.
This work belongs to the staff, consultants, partners, funders, and community members who have shaped Ribbon across every season. We carry that collective wisdom forward, accountable to the people who trust us to do this work well.
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