Hidden Gems: Meet Candice Crear of From Fatherless to Fearless

Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Crear.

Candice , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
From Fatherless to Fearless® is celebrating its fifth year as a nonprofit organization—and 2025 was a year of significant growth and impact. We expanded our reach from 4 to 8 B.R.I.D.G.E.® sites, launched new programming, strengthened our organizational capacity, and served more than 325 girls, mothers, and families.

The impact of our work is reflected in the experiences of the girls we serve. Among B.R.I.D.G.E.® participants, nearly 70% reported feeling more confident in avoiding drugs and other harmful substances, nearly 70% recognized themselves as a person of worth, and nearly 75% believed they could make decisions that would improve their futures.

This September, we are celebrating that growth and the women and girls who make our mission possible through our inaugural Fearless Awards. The event will honor five exceptional professional women and five B.R.I.D.G.E.® graduates. Following the celebration, each honoree will be paired with a graduate for a four-month mentoring experience—creating meaningful connections that extend the impact of the awards well beyond the event itself.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to impact is rarely smooth—and that is often where the greatest opportunities for growth emerge. As From Fatherless to Fearless® continues to evolve, we have encountered challenges that have strengthened our resolve and sharpened our approach.

One ongoing challenge is keeping girls engaged and committed to their personal growth throughout the B.R.I.D.G.E.® program. We are also intentional about identifying facilitators who bring both lived experience with father absence and the personal healing necessary to guide girls through their own journeys. Finding staff members who not only have the skills to advance our work but also deeply align with our mission and values is equally important.

Another significant challenge is increasing awareness and investment in programs designed specifically for girls. Less than 2% of philanthropic dollars are directed to organizations focused exclusively on girls, making it essential for us to advocate for greater recognition of the unique needs, potential, and opportunities of teen girls.

These challenges remind us that our work is about more than delivering programs—it is about building a movement, developing the right people, creating lasting impact, and ensuring that girls have the support and resources they need to thrive.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
From Fatherless to Fearless® is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit dedicated to helping girls and women navigate the impact of father absence and move from pain and uncertainty toward healing, confidence, and purpose.

We specialize in supporting teen girls who have experienced a strained, complicated, or absent relationship with their fathers, helping them understand that their circumstances do not have to define their identity or their future. Through our signature B.R.I.D.G.E.® program, girls are given a safe space to explore their experiences, build self-worth, develop life skills, strengthen decision-making, and envision a positive future. We also create opportunities for mothers, families, and community members to better understand and address the impact of father absence.

What sets From Fatherless to Fearless® apart is our intentional focus on the intersection of father absence, healing, and the development of confident young women. We don’t simply address what is missing—we focus on what can be built: resilience, healthy relationships, financial confidence, leadership, self-worth, and a sense of possibility. We are only one of a handful of organizations with this focus that we can find across the U.S.

We are especially proud of our brand and the language behind it. “From Fatherless to Fearless” reframes a potentially defining experience into a journey of transformation. We believe a girl should never be reduced to what she has experienced or what may be missing from her life. Our brand represents the belief that she can move forward with courage, confidence, and purpose.

As we celebrate our fifth year, we are proud of how the organization has grown in both reach and impact—from 4 to 8 B.R.I.D.G.E.® sites and serving more than 325 girls, mothers, and families. But what matters most is the transformation we see in the girls we serve.

We want readers to know that From Fatherless to Fearless® is not simply a program—it is a movement to ensure that girls have the support, relationships, resources, and belief in themselves they need to thrive.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is seeing people discover their own strength and realize they are capable of more than they ever imagined. There is something incredibly rewarding about witnessing a girl who may have once questioned her worth begin to see herself differently—to find her voice, believe in her potential, and become more confident in who she is.

I’m also happiest when I’m surrounded by people I love, creating meaningful memories, celebrating milestones, and simply enjoying the moments that remind me how precious life is.

Ultimately, what brings me the most joy is knowing that the work we do through From Fatherless to Fearless® can have a lasting impact. When I see a girl begin to move from hurt to hope, or from uncertainty to confidence, I’m reminded why this work matters. Those moments are what make me happy and keep me inspired to continue.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fromfatherlesstofearless.org/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fromfatherlesstofearless
• Facebook: http://www.fb.me/fromfatherlesstofearless
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/fromfatherlesstofearless
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fromfatherlesstofearless