Formerly Incarcerated Minorities Will Get New Chance at Success Through Defy Ventures' Entrepreneurship Program
Formerly incarcerated minorities will be encouraged to become business entrepreneurs under a new federally-funded program run by Defy Ventures.
LOS ANGELES, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The U.S. Department of Commerce has given Defy Ventures a two-year grant which the national nonprofit will use to support the creation of new businesses run by individuals who have served time in prison.
"As a formerly incarcerated minority and a business owner, I know firsthand the needs and challenges people face after leaving prison," said Quan Huynh, Defy's Entrepreneurship Senior Program Manager for California. "There are many barriers that prevent us from gaining employment and financial independence, and entrepreneurship often offers a pathway to economic success. I'm honored to work with others like myself through the grant to provide these opportunities to launch new businesses."
Defy Ventures is a national nonprofit organization that has provided career readiness and entrepreneurship programs to currently and formerly incarcerated adults since 2010. Defy Ventures has worked with more than 5,500 currently and formerly incarcerated adults. The recidivism rate among program participants is less than eight percent. The grant money will help Defy expand its Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and Accelerator programs.
"We're thrilled to grow our entrepreneurship pathway program for formerly incarcerated minorities with this grant," said Andrew Glazier, President and CEO of Defy Ventures. "The Defy Entrepreneurship Pathway is designed to facilitate entrepreneurship in a way that is responsive to the needs of formerly incarcerated individuals. This grant allows us to scale this program to reach more formerly incarcerated minorities who are seeking a new start by launching their own businesses."
The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) under the Entrepreneurship Education for Formerly Incarcerated Persons initiative.
More information about Defy Ventures can be found at http://www.defyventures.org. For individuals interested in enrolling in the Entrepreneurship Pathway in one of Defy's locations (Northern and Southern California, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, or New Jersey), please contact [email protected].
Media Contact:
Mariah Dickinson, Director of Marketing and Communications
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http://www.defyventures.org
Media Contact
Mariah Dickinson, Defy Ventures, +1 (213) 221-1163, [email protected]
SOURCE Defy Ventures
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