Our Story

Meet our Founder: Michael

Learn about the beginning of a movement to create enviable lives for adults with IDD.

Creating Enviable Lives for Adults with IDD

Every parent with a son or daughter with IDD is faced with the same overwhelming question:

“What will happen to my son or daughter after I’m gone?”

In the fall of 2022, we embarked on a journey to be an answer to that question. With ambition to fail forward, we have learned that our calling is to create so much more than a program. We have been appointed to create and cultivate a culture and community of people who share the same vision and commitment of lifting up and empowering adults with IDD to live enviable, purpose-driven lives.

Community Partners and Programs

As we continued to build the foundation for a sustainable life-long program and engage potential community partners, we crossed paths with a local climbing gym, passionate about more than climbing. In the spring of 2023, Crux Climbing Center opened its doors for us to pilot a program that would demonstrate to the world the unending value this population is able to contribute. After several months of trialing processes and supports to maximize success for adults with IDD in an environment like Crux Climbing Center, we launched our Community Program; a social, recreational and vocational experience unlike any other in Austin, Texas!

The Future of J13 Community

As we continue to grow and learn through our Community Program, our hearts and ambitions are set on the life-long care of our community members through launching a comprehensive residential program within the next 5 years. The voices that have shaped our community and will guide our efforts for our residential program are of the adults with IDD we serve, their families and the educators in their lives. We invite you to be a part of our life-changing, world-shifting movement! Learn more about joining our Community Program, volunteering or becoming a financial partner today.