Tajah Ryder

For over two years, Tajah Ryder has brought heart, hustle, and positive energy to Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) as a Life Skills Specialist. With a background in psychology and human development from Boston University, Tajah originally pursued a path in ABA therapy — but her in-home sessions quickly exposed her to the realities facing many young people in Hartford. That insight shifted her purpose and brought her to OPP, where she now serves as an advocate and anchor for youth navigating the DCF system. 

Tajah supports a caseload of young adults in DCF care, helping them tackle barriers like housing instability, mental health challenges, and food insecurity — all while supporting their personal development, education, and employment goals. From one-on-one mentorship to facilitating weekly life skills workshops, she’s deeply committed to helping young people build confidence, community, and consistency.

Her leadership shines through initiatives like the Youth Advisory Board for DCF Region 4, where she co-developed an onboarding curriculum that builds public speaking skills, advocacy confidence, and legislative literacy. She also created a partnership between OPP and Dignity Grows to distribute hygiene products to youth — an act of care that many need. 

When it comes to measuring success, Tajah doesn’t look to stats — she looks to create rapport. “That comfort, that engagement — that’s the real work,” she says. Success is a young person feeling safe enough to show up, speak up, and trust the process. 

Tajah also keeps the wheels turning behind the scenes, maintaining detailed daily notes and monthly assessments that help ensure no youth falls through the cracks. Her approach is equal parts heart and strategy. 

Transitioning to the new Launch program came with its share of challenges, especially while restructuring activities for a post-COVID generation. But Tajah remained grounded in her mission: to be the kind of support she once needed. One powerful success story involved Liam — a youth who overcame homelessness and substance use to eventually secure a full-time job and stable housing, with Tajah’s unwavering guidance along the way. 

Looking ahead, she’s planning a speaking event featuring guest speakers with lived experience, designed to empower and inspire new program participants. Tajah is also curating creative field trips and service projects that get youth learning beyond the four walls of a classroom. 

To those interested in entering this field, Tajah advises, “The system can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to fix it all at once. Just keep showing up. That’s how change begins.”