About Chablis Dandridge
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Chablis Dandridge
Chablis Dandridge is a Charlotte, North Carolina–based entrepreneur, advocate, and social-impact leader whose work sits at the intersection of real estate, criminal justice reform, and community-centered social enterprise. Drawing on lived experience in the criminal legal system and a long track record of community engagement, Chablis builds sustainable housing and workforce solutions that help justice-involved individuals and vulnerable families rebuild stability, regain independence, and reconnect to community life.
Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Chablis’s life path took a dramatic turn when he entered the criminal legal system. During a thirteen-year incarceration he completed college coursework, earned a paralegal certification, and learned Spanish — achievements that shaped his commitment to education, language access, and second-chance opportunities. Those years also became the foundation for his later work in advocacy, peer support, and program development for justice-impacted people.
Chablis lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is bilingual in English and Spanish, a practicing advocate for decarceration and second-chance hiring, and a devoted father. He is deeply committed to fatherhood development. His writings and community work are rooted in creating better choices for the next generation.
Advocacy, criminal justice social impact, and reform work
Chablis’s personal experience with incarceration fuels his professional mission: to reduce recidivism by expanding access to housing, treatment, education, and employment. He consults with and responds to RFPs for local government and justice agencies (including work in Mecklenburg County), designs reentry referral networks, and helps agencies translate grant funds into measurable outcomes. His approach emphasizes trauma-informed peer support, culturally competent counseling, and practical systems navigation — helping participants move from crisis to stability.
He has led or supported programs that provide:
Peer recovery and mentoring services tailored to justice-involved people.
Transitional and supportive housing models that combine case management with employment and behavioral health linkages.
Reentry planning partnerships with corrections, probation, and community providers to improve continuity of care at release.
Real estate and housing solutions
As the founder and principal of a Charlotte-based real estate and property-management firm, Chablis focuses on acquiring, renovating, and operating properties that expand affordable, stable housing options for low-income residents and people returning from incarceration. His real estate work is intentionally mission-driven: properties are managed with rules and programming that prioritize resident stability, employment connection, and access to supportive services.
Key elements of his real estate practice include:
Developing housing partnerships with county and nonprofit stakeholders to align units with reentry and behavioral health programs.
Implementing transparent, accountable property management systems for rent collection, resident support, and compliance monitoring.
Creating on-site or referred workforce and skills training opportunities to connect residents to living-wage jobs.
Social enterprise and community economic development
Chablis builds social enterprises that create employment pathways and onramps to entrepreneurship for people with justice histories. His enterprises emphasize hands-on training, wraparound supports, and opportunities to transition from employment to small business ownership. Projects range from workforce training programs to social-purpose contracting that reserves a portion of work for program participants.
He partners with local organizations — including the Urban League of Central Carolinas and behavioral health networks in the region — to expand services and create referral pipelines. His model centers on collaboration: aligning housing, health, education, and employment partners so participants receive cohesive, measurable support.
Publications, public speaking, and storytelling
A published author, Chablis has written and spoken extensively about redemption, family, and the policy changes needed to reduce recidivism. His book “A Letter to My Sons” Leaving a Legacy of Love reflects both his personal journey and his commitment to generational healing and practical guidance for families whose lives have been shaped by incarceration. He regularly appears at community forums, policy panels, and agency stakeholder meetings to share practical recommendations grounded in lived experience.
Approach and values
Chablis’s work is guided by a few core principles:
Lived experience is expertise: programs should center the voices of people who have navigated the systems they aim to change.
Integration over silos: housing, behavioral health, justice supervision, and employment must be coordinated to produce durable outcomes.
Dignity and accountability: supportive services should treat participants with respect while also providing clear expectations and pathways to independence.
Data and continuous improvement: performance metrics and client feedback drive program refinement and reporting for funders and public partners.
Selected collaborations and projects
Consulting and RFP support for Mecklenburg County service contracts and housing initiatives.
Program design and referral coordination with local nonprofits and behavioral health providers in the Charlotte region.
Partnership development with community organizations such as the Urban League of Central Carolinas to expand workforce pipelines and wraparound supports.