Name Changer

St. Luke's Lifeworks takes on a new identity

What’s in a name? Just about everything to the folks at Inspirica, which until recently was known as St. Luke’s LifeWorks.

Jason Shaplen, CEO of Inspirica, says the change was driven, in part, to clarify any perceived association with the private school that bears the same name, and to undo any implied religious affiliation with any church. Such confusion could be perceived as exclusionary, and resulted in an unnecessary hurdle to the agency’s longtime efforts to serve all homeless people, regardless of faith.

Liz Ball of TFI Envision, the firm that oversaw the rebranding, says the Inspirica name connotes inspiration and spirit, and sets a galvanizing tone to the mission of the Stamford-based agency: to break the cycle of homelessness by helping people achieve—and maintain—permanent housing and stability in their lives.

“For more than a century, St. Luke’s LifeWorks has been an innovative leader that has constantly evolved to meet the needs of our community. (The) name change is in keeping with this evolution and spirit of innovation. It sets the stage for the next century.”