Duane B. Evans Jr. and Venica Hearst Evans, two Cleveland natives, founded Doing Better Than Excellence, and their personal experiences helped shape the organization’s purpose.

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Venica is a survivor of domestic violence, while Duane has experienced both homelessness and domestic violence. Those experiences gave them firsthand insight into how quickly life can become unstable and how difficult it can be to rebuild without access to trustworthy support, resources, and community.

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Rather than allowing those experiences to define their futures, Duane and Venica chose to use what they had learned to help others navigate similar challenges.

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DBE was created from that commitment.

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From the beginning, the organization has focused on helping individuals and families move toward greater stability through advocacy, resource navigation, education, community outreach, and strategic partnerships. Over time, DBE expanded its work to support people experiencing housing instability, survivors of domestic violence, veterans, individuals facing economic hardship, and others navigating major life transitions.

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As the organization grew, so did its understanding of what support can look like. DBE began developing not only practical resource-based services, but also opportunities that encourage reflection, creativity, connection, and personal growth. This led to initiatives such as Therapeutic Release, which uses creative expression and guided reflection to help participants explore resilience, identity, and hope in a welcoming community setting.

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Today, DBE continues to build on its original purpose while strengthening its programs, partnerships, and community presence throughout Greater Cleveland.

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At the heart of the organization is a simple belief:

Difficult circumstances may be part of a person’s story, but they do not have to determine how that story ends.