Founded on the frontlines, built for the community.
Two Black women turning years of lived, frontline experience into coordinated, compassionate support for King County families.
Beyond Barriers Community Alliance was founded by Jalisa McGowan and Charne Ingram, two Black women raised in the King County area who bring years of direct experience working within housing, homelessness, domestic violence, youth services, outreach, permanent supportive housing, legal navigation, and intensive case management systems.
Throughout their frontline careers, they repeatedly saw individuals and families struggle not because help did not exist, but because services were fragmented, difficult to navigate, or unavailable at the critical moments when they were needed most. BBCA was created to change that, to provide coordinated, compassionate, culturally responsive, and practical support that meets people where they are.
Meet the Founders
Jalisa McGowan
Co-Founder
Jalisa McGowan is a co-founder of Beyond Barriers Community Alliance. Raised in the King County area, she brings extensive frontline experience across housing, homelessness services, domestic violence response, outreach, and intensive case management throughout King County.
Charne Ingram
Co-Founder
Charne Ingram is a co-founder of Beyond Barriers Community Alliance. Also raised in the King County area, she brings years of direct experience in permanent supportive housing, youth services, legal navigation, and coordinated case management, with a deep commitment to culturally responsive support.
Core Values
Dignity
We honor the humanity, strengths, and self-determination of every person we serve.
Equity
We work to close gaps and dismantle the barriers that fall hardest on marginalized communities.
Compassion
We lead with empathy, patience, and genuine care in every interaction.
Accountability
We follow through on our commitments and hold ourselves to high standards.
Collaboration
We partner across organizations because coordinated support serves people best.
Empowerment
We build skills, confidence, and pathways toward long-term self-sufficiency.
Community Voice
We center the voices and leadership of the communities most affected by our work.
How we work.
We take a coordinated, relationship-based approach. Rather than handing people a list of phone numbers, we walk alongside them, help them navigate systems, connect them to trusted partners, and follow through. Our work is culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and grounded in the lived realities of the communities we serve.
Governance & leadership.
BBCA is actively building its Board of Directors. Community members, professionals, and advocates who share our mission are invited to learn more about board service on our Get Involved page.