Free Enterprise is an award-winning Saturday morning show that shares the journeys of formerly incarcerated individuals who dream of starting their own businesses after struggling to find consistent employment because of their criminal records. The show is based on the Inmates to Entrepreneurs program, the longest running program of its kind. Even in its first season, Free Enterprise is a groundbreaking success, with an average of 750,000 viewers per week and top ratings in its time slot in US markets.
With the help of Brian Hamilton, one of America’s foremost entrepreneurs and founder of Inmates to Entrepreneurs, the entrepreneurs work to launch businesses with low or no capital, providing viewers a real-time view into the processes of product development, pricing, marketing, and customer service – and their own inspirational stories of self-reliance, hope and transformation. The show is hosted by ABC News’ and ESPN’s Ryan Smith and produced in partnership with Hearst Media Production Group. The show is the recipient of Telly Awards for Social Impact and Corporate Philanthropy and is a finalist for a Cynopsis award for “pioneering new standards of diversity & inclusion, social good, and collaboration” on television.
