Defy Ventures, Inc.

We operate our program in support of the following goals:
1) Positive changes in thinking and behavior as measured by our perceptions survey instrument, which we believe is the best way to measure whether learning outcomes have been achieved; and,
2) Achieving meaningful and sustainable employment within 60 days of beginning a job search after release through our Reentry and Career Readiness Pathway program and through partnerships with fair-chance employers; and,
3) Supporting the launch of small businesses for EITs who demonstrate readiness and ability, when desired and practical for them.
4) Support the long-term personal development and advancement of EITs in the Defy community

Defy Ventures is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship, employment, and personal development training to currently and formerly incarcerated men and women. Leveraging a blended learning model, we combine the scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of video-based training with life-transforming opportunities for growth through personal coaching and mentoring. We help Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) launch successful careers and businesses and break generational legacies of poverty and incarceration.

Defy uses an “inside-out” model to combat the factors contributing to cycles of recidivism and poverty plaguing the hundreds of thousands of Americans with criminal histories who struggle to find work and a legal, sustainable livelihood. Defy’s program begins on the inside—in prisons—where we engage classes of EITs in our CEO of Your New Life (CEO YNL) program.

CEO YNL is a 7-month program consisting of 1,200 pages of proprietary curriculum content, supplementary video-based instruction, regular classes and peer discussion, exciting events with executive volunteers, mentorship and coaching, and the creation of deliverables including a resume, personal statement, and business concept plan. CEO YNL culminates in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition and cap and gown graduation, after which EITs earn a certificate of completion. Our program model is aligned with the evidence-based conceptual framework “5-Key Model for Reentry,” which focuses on elements of well-being for returning citizens: meaningful work trajectories, healthy thinking habits, positive coping strategies, positive social activities, and positive social relationships.

Once released from prison and graduated from CEO YNL, EITs have the opportunity to enroll in Defy’s post-release program, which further eases the reentry process and trains them to gain and sustain meaningful employment (through workshops and events). Once gainfully employed, EITs can choose to become an entrepreneur by enrolling in Defy's Entrepreneurship Pathway, in which they develop and launch profitable businesses.

- Excellence in Curriculum Development and Program Implementation: Create and deliver powerful programming that is built around an entrepreneurial context, best practices in reentry, and evidence-based metrics to deliver consistent, positive outcomes.
- Business Acceleration: Recognize and cultivate entrepreneurial talent among the formerly incarcerated and offer a selective business accelerator program for individuals who are both ready and able to pursue the launch of a small business.
- Accessible and Impactful Experiences: Offer accessible, meaningful, and highly impactful experiences for both EITs and large numbers of diverse coaches and mentors from the business community.
- Volunteer Engagement and Activation: Engage and leverage volunteers after their initial participation in Defy programming in service to Defy’s mission – as employer partners, donors to Defy, advocates for change, and mentors and coaches in both prison and post-release programming.
- Community: Create a redemptive and pro-social community that includes both EITS and volunteers and allows them to connect around shared challenges and successes long after they have reentered society.
- Criminal Justice Reform and Economic Justice Influencer: Speak to the power of rehabilitative programming and facilitate and/or participate in meaningful conversation about economic justice, best practices in rehabilitative programming, reentry, and development of fair chance hiring practices.
- Partnership: Develop and manage mutually beneficial partnerships, both large and small, in support of our mission, vision and outcomes.
- Scalable Model for Growth: Execute a model for growth that is rapidly scalable and can add value to existing reentry organizations.
- National Convening and Collective Action: Offer value to and support a network of affiliates and chapters with regular convenings to exchange promising practices and accrued knowledge to support continuous improvement of program and outcomes.

- 6,300+ Defy Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) served
- 6,700+ volunteers engaged in Defy's mission
- 150+ businesses launched by Defy EITs
- <10% 1-year recidivism rate; <15% 3-year recidivism rate