Built by People Who've Been There
TransAdap was founded on a simple belief: the people best equipped to guide you through a major life transition are the ones who have already walked that road.
12,000+
People served
6
Transition types
340+
Coaches & mentors
2019
Founded
It Started With a Veteran and a Spreadsheet
In 2019, Marcus Torres retired from the Army after 22 years of service. He had led hundreds of soldiers, managed multi-million dollar operations, and navigated some of the most complex environments on earth. Then he sat down to write a civilian resume and had no idea where to start.
He spent six months cobbling together resources — a Reddit thread here, a nonprofit there, a well-meaning HR contact who didn't quite understand military experience. It worked, eventually. But it was harder than it needed to be.
Marcus started keeping a spreadsheet of every resource, coach, and community that actually helped. He shared it with other veterans. Then someone forwarded it to a friend navigating reentry after incarceration. Then to someone who had just immigrated from Nigeria. The spreadsheet became a Google Doc, then a website, then TransAdap.
Today TransAdap serves over 12,000 people navigating six distinct types of major life transition. The platform has grown, but the core idea hasn't changed: connect people in transition with guides who have lived the same journey, and give them the practical tools to move forward.
"To make major life transitions less isolating and more navigable — by connecting people with guides who have lived the same journey and resources that actually work."
Military to civilian life — resume translation, VA benefits, identity shift, and finding community outside the unit.
Life after incarceration — housing, employment, record clearing, family reconnection, and navigating a changed world.
Immigration and interstate moves — culture shock, community building, professional integration, and documentation.
Industry pivots and professional reinvention — skills mapping, networking into new fields, and reskilling.
Leaving employment to launch a business — business structure, financial planning, finding your first customers, and building confidence as a founder.
Graduating and entering the workforce — landing your first role, navigating workplace culture, and building a professional identity from scratch.
Leaving or changing faith communities — identity, family dynamics, grief, and building a new value system.
Starting over after divorce, addiction recovery, financial collapse, or major loss — foundations, finances, and forward motion.
Our Values
Lived experience first
We prioritize guides and resources created by people who have personally navigated the transitions they speak to. Credentials matter, but lived experience is the foundation.
Radical honesty
Transitions are hard. We don't sugarcoat timelines, minimize setbacks, or promise outcomes we can't deliver. Honest information is more useful than comfortable information.
Dignity in every interaction
Whether you're a veteran, someone recently released from prison, or a person rebuilding after divorce — you deserve to be treated with full dignity. No judgment, no hierarchy of hardship.
Practical over inspirational
Motivation fades. Checklists, contacts, and step-by-step guides don't. We focus on the concrete, actionable, and specific over the broadly encouraging.
Community as infrastructure
Peer support isn't a nice-to-have — it's one of the most reliable predictors of successful transition. We build community into the platform, not as an afterthought.
Privacy by default
Many of the people we serve are navigating sensitive circumstances. We treat privacy as a core design principle, not a compliance checkbox.
Our Team
Every member of our founding team has personally navigated a major life transition. That's not a coincidence — it's a hiring requirement.
Marcus Torres
Co-founder & CEO
Army veteran, 22 years of service. Built the first version of TransAdap from a spreadsheet of resources he wished he'd had when he left the military.
Keisha Odom
Co-founder & Head of Community
Spent 7 years incarcerated and rebuilt her life through peer support networks. Leads all community programming and coach vetting at TransAdap.
Ravi Nair
Head of Product
Immigrated from Chennai to Chicago in 2015. Spent three years navigating culture shock and professional integration before joining TransAdap to build tools he wished existed.
Lena Schultz
Head of Coaching
Career counselor and certified life coach who made three major career pivots before age 40. Oversees coach training, matching, and quality at TransAdap.
Ready to Start Your Next Chapter?
Browse resources, find a coach, or join the community — wherever you are in your transition.