Episodes

  • #130 Everybody CAN Win - Richard Bronson, 70 Million Jobs

    #130 Everybody CAN Win - Richard Bronson, 70 Million Jobs
    Dec 16 2020
    Los Angeles based 70 Million Jobs was founded by Richard Bronson, formerly of New York. You know, the home field of Wall Street? Where the Wall Street Wolf story took place? Well, Richard was a partner in that company and lived the crazy life for some time. He then left, moved to Florida and started his own company, another financial services company that grew to $100 Million with over 500 employees. But the same Wall Street greed was there and a lot of things Richard did were illegal. The saving grace was that he and his partners paid back all the investors before being prosecuted, which probably made his sentence as light as it could have been. Even going to prison was a relief to Richard, as the constant pressure of untangling the web they has spun was having a huge drag on his life, the guilt and sense of embarrassment being part of it including the loss of all his friends and wealth. So he came out of prison completely the opposite of the life he had been living: broke and homeless as opposed to having private jets, mingling with celebrities and gambling the night away in casinos. The time he spent in prison humbled him, but did not prepare him for release. He wasted a couple of years figuring out what to do with the rest of his life, and he found a non-profit organization to work. He enjoyed the food for the soul he got out of it, but decided the organization was not really having an impact. And that impact, he decided, was lowering the recidivism rate. So that gave him a goal and his calling in life. He launched a for-profit company that took an approach which employed technology and being aggressive business people - showing employers the "profitable" practice of hiring ex-felons and those with misdemeanors. That was a win-win-win; the employers got a benefit, the ex-incarcerated got a job, and 70 Million Jobs made money for the investors. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com
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    53 mins
  • #129 Striving for Youth Justice - George Galvis, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice

    #129 Striving for Youth Justice - George Galvis, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice
    Dec 9 2020
    Interconnected and interdependent is how George Galvis, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, sees the world his organization is building. He takes a view of history where he broadens the context of events and particularly the versions of history. It inspires him to move forward working with young people with experiences similar to his. As early as three years old, George remembers fearing domestic violence and his mother's life; his father at maximum rage and his mother turning blue from lack of oxygen. And, as happens so often, George then repeated what he had experienced. He took his rage and violence to the street as a young man. At 17, he was arrested and charged with a felony. He was lucky that he was not a legal adult, so his sentence was not as severe as it could have been. He then entered community college and started moving on, always worrying about his record becoming public knowledge and hurting his chances for advancement. Then he met some influential people who taught him cultural awareness which meant healing was a big part of his daily life. Community involvement was another leg of the stool and George interpreted that to mean activism as well as connecting. He then organized resistance to some California ballot issues he deemed to marginalize specific groups. The last component was higher education, learning the vocabulary and framework to express himself and his views. He took that to the hilt, transferring to UC Berkeley and graduating with honors. Thus the foundation for CURYJ. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com
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    49 mins
  • #128 She Certainly Wasn't Pampered Growing Up - Allison Garret, Pamper Perfect Mobile Spa

    #128 She Certainly Wasn't Pampered Growing Up - Allison Garret, Pamper Perfect Mobile Spa
    Nov 30 2020
    Want to take the guesswork out of your next big surprise party? Then have an all-day spa delivered to your home, hotel room - basically anywhere - by Pamper Perfect Mobile Spa. But that's just one of the side businesses for dynamo Allison Garret, a motivational speaker and life coach. Born to teenage parents and put up for adoption immediately, what was supposed to be a short term stay with adoptive parents turned into long term. Then her birth mother died of leukemia at 19 when Allison was a two-year old. Allison went through the foster care system, which was a tough journey. She dropped out of school in the eighth grade to take care of her siblings. A move from New York to Delaware did not work out well and she started running away to be "on her own", for which she was not prepared. Petty crime led to the in and out of the courts routine until she was declared a habitual offender, after which she received a seven year sentence in the Pennsylvania system. The shock made her figure out how to change her life. With two small children at home, Allison was at least fortunate to serve two and a half years before being paroled. And she used that time wisely, to research what opportunities she could pursue, and NOT pursue. As a felon, she identified 250 professions she could not practice as an ex-felon. So the idea of a mobile spa was born, as often happens, out of necessity! She knew people in the industry and it became her first business. From just asking friends and family to come over for a party, it literally grew from there. Coaching and speaking came after she told people over and over her story of having a felony charge on her back, no money, no credit and only the drive and confidence to succeed. So the "How did you do it?" question led to the book and her writing career. Allison realized she was in prison long before she was incarcerated, and that realization has set her free. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com
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    53 mins
  • #127 Life Becomes Art - Aimee Wissman, Returning Artists Guild

    #127 Life Becomes Art - Aimee Wissman, Returning Artists Guild
    Nov 18 2020
    Artist, organizer, advocate and speaker, Aimee Wissman is a machine. An Ohio native, Aimee had a lot of instability growing up and those insecurities led to a heroin addiction at age 16 that lasted about 10 years. She did, however, manage to graduate high school and get a couple of years of college. But bad relationships and bad choices put her in the prison system. Aimee tried to get treatment before that, but the typical system of expensive treatments, no insurance, yaddah yaddah made it impossible. She did use her incarceration time to make a short film, reflecting how she tried to change her life but nothing was available in her situation. A burglary and robbery charge were considered violent crimes, so her sentence was harsh. Aimee gave birth to her daughter about a year before starting her sentence and tried to shake her drug habit. However, a domestic altercation with the girl's father threw a wrench into that path. Coupled with an eight-year sentence and a maximum security incarceration for the first two years, Aimee had her face-the-music moment. She began making art objects to send to her daughter to keep connected, and that gave birth to a full-blown program that was running full steam by the time Aimee left the system. Others have produced their own films and and have gotten public notoriety giving rise to a larger discussion of why people go to prison, and particularly, why women go to prison. And if you have a chance to visit the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in the near future, you can see Aimee's work on display. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com
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    56 mins
  • #126 Jackie Aranda Osorno, Staff Attorney, Southern Poverty Law Center

    #126 Jackie Aranda Osorno, Staff Attorney, Southern Poverty Law Center
    Nov 11 2020
    Founded in 1971 by Morris Dees, an Alabama lawyer and businessman, Morris saw an obligation to stand up for the disenfranchised. He sold a successful book publishing company and started a law practice to give them a voice. Jackie Aranda Osorno is a staff attorney at the law center. A self-described "Latinx queer woman", Jackie immigrated from Mexico and experienced legal systems that categorized and pigeon-holed people by stereotypes. After graduating from law school, she went to Southern Poverty Law Center for a couple of years, then left to do some immigration work, then returned where she currently resides. She deals with revising the legal system to direct sentences to be more in line with the crime, and treatment as opposed to long incarceration and real rehabilitation as opposed to warehousing with no change in behavior. In particular, dealing with prison systems that are overcrowded and understaffed is a huge challenge that she and the SPLC are addressing currently. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com
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    52 mins
  • #125 She Made Her Own Second Chance, Now She Makes Them for Others - Cheri Garcia, Cornbread Hustle

    #125 She Made Her Own Second Chance, Now She Makes Them for Others - Cheri Garcia, Cornbread Hustle
    Nov 4 2020
    No, not an ice cream flavor, Cheri Garcia is a vibrant personality, really more of a machine. Absolutely not from a broken home or the typical tough background, she was the ideal kid. On the cheerleading team, pitcher for the softball team, anchor for the school newspaper - the ideal kid. So what happened? She decided to try meth with the promise to lose weight. That did happen, but so did her interest in all the good things she was doing. As an addict, people stop caring about their former lives and that's exactly what happened to Cheri. Miraculously, she graduated from high school and managed through sheer will to cold turkey. Then she focused in on her life's goal, being a journalist on TV. She got a job in the newsroom and also pursued other entrepreneurial passions, such as teaching gymnastics. She then took her ability to the prison system, helping inmates in their entrepreneurial programs establish a business or career. Since starting a business with "fifty bucks and a bus ticket" was not viable, she shifted to helping get released felons prepare for and get a job. Having now put herself out of a job, she figured that now connecting those ex-felons with employers, and second-chance hiring was born. With a great name, Cornbread Hustle now finds itself with more demand for employees than they currently can meet, a real change in hiring philosophy on the employer side. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com
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    55 mins
  • #124 Second Chances Have Happy Endings - Brian Stanley, Court Advocate, Avenues for Justice

    #124 Second Chances Have Happy Endings - Brian Stanley, Court Advocate, Avenues for Justice
    Oct 28 2020
    Brian Stanley is a Court Advocate for the East Harlem, New York City, for Avenues for Justice. Which means, he helps save young lives by giving youth who have been caught up in crime a second chance to straighten out their lives for the good. And the results are impressive. Through "AFJ" as they call it, young adults receive drug rehabilitation, education, counseling and job training to create a path to a successful life on the outside. And their results are impressive. AFJ has been at it for 40 years, and at a fraction of the cost of incarceration per youth, their website boasts that 90% of their graduates stay out of prison, versus the incredible high recidivism rate of the current prison system. Brian himself was arrested at 18 facing felony charges that gave him a chance to keep his records sealed if he got his life straightened out. He did, and went on to Howard University successfully and inspired him to want to show other troubled youth that there could be a second chance to a better life and was obviously drawn to AFJ and its mission. Perhaps the largest accomplishment of AFJ is its "partnership" with the court system. They intervene when they feel there is a youth who could successfully navigate their program and give the courts an alternative to incarceration. This model is one that definitely should be copied and recreated throughout the country. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com
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    58 mins
  • #123 Education is Key to Not Going Back to Prison - James Monteiro, Re-Entry Campus Program

    #123 Education is Key to Not Going Back to Prison - James Monteiro, Re-Entry Campus Program
    Oct 22 2020
    A middle school dropout, James Monteiro left his mother's house, moved in with a woman 10 years his senior and was "exposed to things no 15-year old should be exposed to". That experience set James up to spend the next 20 years or his life incarcerated up and down the east coast. Upon release, he only had his 8th grade education to fall back on and that led him back to prison, a repeating cycle. His last incarceration of 10 years made him think he never wanted to go back and he began working on getting a college degree. He got his associate degree, but a bachelor degree on his prison pay was out of reach. But he had people who believed in him and he was able to get the degree before release. However, as the Re-Entry Campus Program's website says, it's one thing to be locked up in prison, it's another to be locked OUT of society. So began Re-Entry Campus Program, to help other incarcerated souls achieve a college degree whether out of prison or still in. Nationwide, there are 90,000 incarcerated people taking college courses, but after release, there is no tracking of who is following through and finishing to get their degree. That's where Re-Entry is their safety net, helping them with financial aid, enrollment, proctoring exams and so forth. And so far, there has been little recruiting, almost everyone finds Re-Entry by word of mouth. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com
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    55 mins