New York, N.Y., October 1, 2018 – Inmates to Entrepreneurs announced today that it’s launching a national tour of one-day entrepreneurship seminars in cities across the U.S. The events are free and open to anyone with a criminal record interested in learning how to start and run a small business. Tech entrepreneur Brian Hamilton and Inmates to Entrepreneurs co-chair AJ Ware will lead the program and teach participants how to bootstrap a low-capital business from the ground-up. The tour kicks off in New York City on Saturday, November 3, at Brooklyn College and will continue on to Washington D.C. and Atlanta in 2019.
Over 70 million Americans are estimated to have a criminal record. Hamilton sees entrepreneurship as a path forward for individuals who have been judicially involved, noting, “It is a good goal that people want to get jobs out of prison, but it’s unlikely to happen. There is systemic discrimination against people returning to society. So, we help people start their own businesses.”
Inmates to Entrepreneurs was founded in 1992 by Brian Hamilton, co-founder of Sageworks, the country’s first fintech company and largest provider of software to U.S. banks. Hamilton has a long history of entrepreneurship, having founded and run several successful businesses. Sageworks, which he led for the past 20 years, was recently acquired by a leading private equity firm. An expert on entrepreneurship, Brian is a frequent guest on CNBC and Fox and comments regularly in most major national media publications on related topics. Under Brian’s leadership, Inmates to Entrepreneurs has taught entrepreneurship to thousands of men and women in more than 50 correctional institutions. The organization’s program offerings grew in 2017 to include a free eight-week course covering entrepreneurship essentials such as marketing, finance, and sales. The eight-week course is currently offered in five cities across North Carolina. New York will be the first stop on a tour that will expand programming by bringing free one-day business seminars across the country.
Board of Directors co-chair AJ Ware said, “New York is a milestone since it’s one of the first steps in Inmates to Entrepreneurs’ national expansion. Taking this program national is critical. We’re teaching more than business acumen; we’re building self-esteem and teaching independence, while also addressing the systemic issues associated with recidivism.”
Participants interested in signing up for the conference can register here. This is a free event, and seating is limited. Community partners interested in ways to get involved in the event can email kristinC@inmatestoentrepreneurs.org.
About Inmates to Entrepreneurs
Inmates to Entrepreneurs assists people with criminal backgrounds in starting their own businesses by providing resources and mentorship. Our goal is to reduce the rate of recidivism in the United States by providing an alternative path to financial stability and success. To learn more, visit inmatestoentrepreneurs.org.
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