When you think of entrepreneurship in prison, you probably think trading cigarettes for pinups or jello for protection money. A new program called The Last Mile hopes to change that.
The Last Mile hopes that through entrepreneurship, it can prepare convicts for employment and reduce recidivism. Considering these founders have never used the Internet or an app, their business plans were remarkable.
“It makes me feel like I’m already contributing to society†said Crisfino Kenyatta Leal, one of the first inmates to go through The Last Mile who presented at its first demo day in 2012. The program was set up by accelerator KickLabs, and funded by its founders Chris Redlitz of AdAuction and Beverly Parenti of First Virtual holdings, two succesful 90s tech companies. Investors, entrepreneurs, and authors like First Round Capital’s Josh Kopelman, MC Hammer, and AllTop’s Guy Kawasaki come in to mentor the inmates. Though these captive founders aren’t looking for funding now, many hope to launch their businesses once they earn their freedom.
Their demo day video is below.
San Quentin Prison Demo Day Gives Entrepreneurs Behind Bars A Second Chance