Profiles in Power
Years ago, Rihem Cowart knew the uncertainty of homelessness firsthand. Today, as head of outreach at Guild, he is one of the Twin Cities’ most dedicated advocates for the unhoused, blending lived experience with strategic leadership. From his early work at The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities to his current role guiding Guild’s outreach, Cowart’s mission is clear: to walk alongside people in crisis, showing them they are seen, valued, and capable of reclaiming their lives.
Years ago, Rihem Cowart stood on the edge of homelessness, not as a bystander, but as someone who intimately knew what it felt like to live in uncertainty. Today, he stands as one of the Twin Cities’ most dedicated voices for the unhoused, driven by a simple but powerful belief: Everyone deserves a chance to reclaim their life.
As head of outreach at Guild, a nonprofit delivering community-based mental health and housing services, Cowart leads with deep empathy, informed by lived experience. He doesn’t just offer help — he offers hope.
“This work isn’t just about services,” Cowart says. “It’s about showing people they’re seen, they’re valued, and that their story isn’t over.”
From rock bottom to rising leader
Cowart’s professional journey into human services began in 2021 with The Salvation Army. There, he quickly stood out not just for his tireless work ethic, but for his ability to connect with people on a deeply human level.
His leadership qualities were undeniable. Within a year, he was promoted to a managerial role, overseeing frontline efforts that helped individuals transition from crisis to stability. Later, at Catholic Charities, he led operations at the Mary Frey Opportunity Center, one of the region’s most critical day shelters and resource hubs for people experiencing homelessness.
Cowart managed programs there that linked individuals with food, housing support, health care and employment services. His strategic mindset helped streamline operations, strengthen outreach, and foster vital partnerships across the city.
Lived experience as a leadership strength
What truly sets Cowart apart is not just his résumé but his lived experience. “I’ve been where some of these folks are,” he says.
“I know what it’s like to feel invisible, to not know where your next meal is coming from. I do this work because someone once believed in me, and that belief changed everything.”
That firsthand understanding shapes Cowart’s leadership style grounded in compassion, fueled by purpose. You’ll often find him side by side with his team, walking through encampments, parks, or underpasses, meeting people where they are without judgment.
“Outreach isn’t about handing someone a flyer,” he says. “It’s about building trust. And sometimes that takes weeks, even months. But that’s when healing begins.”
Guiding Guild’s outreach
As head of outreach at Guild, Cowart now leads a team focused on bridging gaps between housing, mental health, and crisis intervention. Guild’s mission, empowering change by engaging individuals and elevating their voices, fits seamlessly with Cowart’s approach to leadership.
He coordinates with shelters, hospitals, police departments, and grassroots organizations to ensure people in crisis don’t fall through the cracks. His team is often the first, and sometimes the only, point of connection for someone experiencing homelessness or a mental health crisis.
“We’re not here to save people,” Cowart says. “We’re here to walk with them until they’re ready to save themselves.”
Changing systems, not just lives
Throughout his career, Cowart has championed the power of collaboration. He’s earned a reputation for building strong relationships with service providers, local agencies, and community leaders, helping to reduce duplication, speed up referrals, and design systems that truly serve people.
Colleagues describe him as both strategic and deeply human, a changemaker who doesn’t just show up but brings solutions with him.
“He doesn’t just show up… He shows up with a plan and a purpose,” says a former coworker. “Rihem is always thinking about how to make systems more compassionate and effective.”
And as homelessness and the fentanyl crisis deepen across cities nationwide, Cowart believes the moment calls for leadership rooted in empathy, not bureaucracy. “This isn’t just a housing issue, it’s a human issue,” Cowart says.
“If we want safer, healthier communities, we have to invest in people. We have to see them not as problems to fix, but as neighbors to lift up.”
Looking ahead
For Rihem Cowart the work is far from done. With every conversation, every outreach effort, and every life reconnected to stability, he is helping write a new narrative, one where people in crisis are not forgotten but empowered to rise again.
“I believe in second chances,” Cowart says. “Because I’m living proof that they matter.”
Shanasha Whitson’s “Profiles in Power” aims to highlight community members spearheading positive impact in the local Twin Cities community. She is also the founder of Community Partnership Collaborative 2.0 (CPC 2.0) and Mothers Against Gun-Violence (MAG).