Greetings!  I am Dionne Williamson, Director and Founder of UPward Design For Life, Corp.  I am a social entrepreneur who is serious about the business of serving my community.

Why I Founded UPward Design for Life™

I have always believed that true success comes from using our gifts to serve others and make a lasting impact on the world around us. This is something I remind my kids often: use your talents to make the world a better place. Now, I am committed to practicing what I preach.

Through my creative talents, organizational skills, and love for community service, I founded UPward Design for Life™—an organization dedicated to transforming empty spaces into homes for individuals and families making a fresh start. Our mission is simple yet profound: everyone deserves a clean, comfortable, and safe place to call home.

We help people who are taking courageous steps to rebuild their lives—survivors of domestic violence, refugees, veterans, and others facing hardships—by providing gently used and refurbished furnishings and accessories. Not only do these individuals get a fresh start, but the furnishings themselves are given a second chance to bring comfort and joy into someone’s life.

My Journey

For over 17 years, I served as a National Sales Director and Certified Diversity Travel Professional at Visit Buffalo Niagara, where I worked with clients from all walks of life, promoting Buffalo as a convention and tourism destination. My work contributed to the economic development of Buffalo and Erie County—but I realized I wanted to do more for the people who call Buffalo home, especially those in need of the most basic necessities.

While tourism is big business, I asked myself: what about the people who live here, struggling every day?

I know firsthand what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck and how much our surroundings can affect us mentally and physically. My upbringing, my military training, my education (earning my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Management), and my experiences as an entrepreneur and community volunteer, have all shaped my belief that we can create profound change in the lives of others.

After conversations with local non-profits, like the Family Justice Center of Erie County, where I served as an Ambassador, and speaking with domestic violence survivors, I recognized a glaring gap in services—there was no organization in our area doing what we are doing now. When my efforts to bring a similar Detroit-based concept to Buffalo went unanswered, I knew I had to take the leap and build it myself.

I also hold an Interior Design Consultant Certification from the New York Institute of Art and Design. I’ve always been a 'can do' person and a risk taker. My parents taught me the value of hard work and getting your hands dirty to make a difference—and I carry that lesson into everything I do.

UDFL Operations TimeLine and Benchmarks

• Articles of Incorporation established - July 2017

• 501(c)3 status approved - December 2017

• Began operations - January 2018

• First client served - March 2018

• Awarded first financial grant - March 2020 from the Fifty Fabulous Women Giving Circle

• Completed 3-5 Strategic Plan - August 2021

• Executive Director & Founder, Dionne Williamson, resigns from her full-time job to become a full-time volunteer at UDFL - September 2021

• Dionne Williamson moves from a full-time volunteer role to become UDFL’s first official employee - June 1, 2022

• UDFL serves its 100th family - December 2023