Our Mission
Our mission is to ensure that no one faces life’s major transitions alone.
Transitional Steps supports individuals and families navigating pivotal moments, from youth entering adulthood to veterans reintegrating, seniors adjusting to new levels of care, and families experiencing birth or loss; by providing structured life-skills education, emotional wellness support, and community connection that fosters stability, dignity, and long-term resilience.
Our Team
Nicole Renee Barboza
Nicole Barboza founded Transitional Steps from a deeply personal understanding of how major life transitions can shape a person’s sense of stability, identity, and future. After experiencing housing instability and the loss of her mother at a young age, she became committed to helping others move through pivotal seasons of change with support, dignity, and community.
Transitional Steps began with a focus on youth entering adulthood and has grown into a broader mission to support individuals and families navigating critical transitions, including young adulthood, veteran reintegration, senior care changes, birth, grief, and loss.
Nicole brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit leadership, mental health advocacy, philanthropic program management, operations, and community-centered programming. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and is pursuing a Master’s in Organizational Psychology, strengthening her work around people, systems, change, and resilience.
Through Transitional Steps, Nicole is building practical, trauma-informed, and equity-centered pathways so individuals and families do not have to face life’s major transitions alone.
Founder and Executive Director 
Elsa Linares
Elsa serves as the Programs and Community Wellness Director at Transitional Steps. She is an Associate Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience providing comprehensive, culturally responsive services to diverse communities. Throughout her career, Elsa has held clinical, advocacy, and leadership roles, building deep expertise in supporting individuals, families, and groups navigating complex social, emotional, and mental health needs.
Elsa is deeply committed to promoting well-being, fostering resilience, and advancing equity through compassionate, evidence-based practice. Her work centers on strengthening protective factors, expanding access to supportive services, and ensuring programs are grounded in dignity, trust, and community-informed care.
Programs and Community Wellness Director
Chief People & Financial Officer
Carlos Alvarez
Carlos serves as Chief People and Financial Officer at Transitional Steps, where he leads organizational operations, financial strategy, and people-centered systems designed to support sustainable, mission-driven growth across programs serving individuals navigating major life transitions.
As the organization’s data and analytics lead, Carlos brings advanced expertise in big data analysis, systems modeling, and strategic forecasting. He specializes in scrubbing complex datasets, identifying community-level patterns, and translating quantitative insights into actionable strategies that guide responsible expansion and measurable impact. His work ensures that Transitional Steps remains both human-centered and operationally sound.
Beyond his professional career, Carlos has dedicated over a decade to community development initiatives focused on strengthening workforce readiness, career exploration, and economic mobility. His commitment extends across populations navigating transition, including young adults entering independence, veterans reintegrating into civilian life, and individuals rebuilding stability during pivotal life shifts.
Carlos’s leadership philosophy blends data-informed decision-making with a deep respect for human dignity. He believes that strong systems and financial stewardship create the foundation for programs that are responsive, equitable, and built to last.
Contact Us
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