Dream on Purpose started 10 years ago with a one-and-done workshop and soon expanded its scope. 

JoAnne Karagnara, vice president of the nonprofit, said her sister, Shareen Baptiste, called and wanted to help young girls dream.  

“Once we began planning and working on putting this workshop together, we really started realizing that one workshop is not going to be enough,” Karagnara said. 

Looking back, Karagnara said the experience has been amazing and rewarding through the ups and downs. Baptiste, who serves as president, said the work is her passion and purpose. She said it’s hard to believe a decade has passed, and the sisters continue looking forward to Dream on Purpose’s next steps. 

“It doesn’t feel like 10 years,” Baptiste said. “We have definitely been having fun while working hard to impact tomorrow’s generation of leaders, and we’re excited for the next 10, the next 15, the next 50. We really do want Dream on Purpose to become a household name.” 

The immediate next step for the nonprofit is finding a permanent space. Dream on Purpose has moved its events around Gainesville, holding Cupcakes and Conversations, its signature event, everywhere from public libraries to community centers.  

Baptiste said renting and sharing spaces brought exposure and more awareness, but the lack of a permanent home has also had challenges. She said the team often must wait until just before an event to begin preparing a space. It can also be challenging for attendees who never know where the next happening will take place.  

Dream on Purpose almost signed a lease in May but stepped away.  

“After looking at several different properties, we did land on one that I, you know, basically fell in love with,” Baptiste said, citing affordability and a prime location. 

After nearly two months of negotiations, the parties couldn’t come together on the contract. Baptiste said she now has a better sense of the space Dream on Purpose needs and continues the search.  

But Baptiste, Karagnara and their team have a deadline if they want to take advantage of a $200,000 grant from the state of Florida.  

The grant comes through the Department of Education, and Baptiste said former state Sen. Keith Perry helped them get the funds after attending one of the nonprofit’s annual galas. The funds, given in 2023, can be used for capital needs like renovations or rent, but must be spent by January 2026.  

Baptiste said Dream on Purpose hopes to find their physical space and pay rent upfront with the funding or work on renovating the location as needed.  

Dream on Purpose has other expansions underway.  

Karagnara said the credibility built over 10 years has opened partnerships for Dream on Purpose, including research opportunities with UF.  

The team recently launched REACH, Radically Empowering Agents of Change through Hope. The eight-week program teaches leadership, and Karagnara said UF researchers are working with Dream on Purpose to measure the impact and hopefully inform future programs.  

The program started at Santa Fe High School and expanded to Newberry High School last year. REACH will also include middle schools in the 2025-2026 school year.  

“[REACH] wasn’t something that was part of our initial scope when we started the organization, yet we’ve evolved 10 years into this and are looking at doing research with the University of Florida for like the next three to five years,” Karagnara said.  

Karagnara said that when the pilot program at Santa Fe High School happened, she attended each session. She said the impact on the young girls was beyond informational. Students acted differently as their confidence rose. 

She saw the change, but Karagnara said it was a hard thing to put on paper and tell people versus saying 83% of participants feel like they learn something new during our programs (an actual stat for Dream on Purpose). 

“The impact we’ve made in the last 10 years may not always be measurable, but it is impactful, and that’s what makes it so amazing,” Karagnara said.  

Dream on Purpose has also started hosting some events in Jacksonville. Baptiste said this started after participants drove to Gainesville in order to participate. Through partnerships, Baptiste said they expanded their Cupcakes and Conversation program, with one event happening last week at the Jacksonville Zoo.  

The need for Dream on Purpose in Jacksonville makes her more excited for the future, Baptiste said, with talks about expanding into nearby Ocala.  

She said all the organization’s events in 2025 are themed around “10 years of impact, a lifetime of change” and centered on favorite topics from previous years—but with some twists. 

Karagnara said she looks forward to seeing the nonprofit step past its infancy and into the next stage. No matter what comes, she said, the mission to empower youth will stay. 

“It’s super exciting to get here,” Karagnara said. “It’s exciting to see the impact, thousands of youth served in the last 10 years. It’s not as many as some, but it’s more than most, and that was the whole point.”