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GIG HARBOR—Inside the fluorescent-lit gymnasium behind prison gates, 34 incarcerated women gathered at tables at Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW). Dressed in standard-issue gray t-shirts and khaki pants, the women clutched their resumes and mock business plans with a mix of nervous energy and cautious hope. Across from them sat their coaches—business professionals volunteering from the outside world. Some dressed in blazers, others more casually. The coaches leaned in, offered feedback and asked thoughtful questions about business concepts.
The August 21 event marked the prison’s first coaching session of CEO of Your New life, a Defy Ventures program that challenges incarcerated participants to see their past through a new lens. The same grit, hustle and leadership that can fuel criminal activity can, with guidance, become the foundation for entrepreneurship and other successful careers, program organizers say. If participants see themselves as “entrepreneurs-in-training,” the shift in mindset can set them up for success beyond prison walls.
“There is a ton of entrepreneurial talent among people who are locked up,” said Defy Ventures President and CEO Andrew Glazier. “Many have been involved in illegal businesses. That’s what got them there. But when given the chance to put their talent to work within the framework we offer, they can repurpose that talent to work in legal careers and legal businesses. If we get them to see themselves as entrepreneurs instead of the sum of their past mistakes, you can help people change their outlook and personal narrative.”
Defy Ventures is a non-profit whose mission is to shift mindsets to give people with criminal histoires their best shot at a second chance through career readiness, personal development and entrepreneurship programs offered in prisons and in the community.
CEO of your New Life blends business education, personal development and mentorship. Participants in the seven-month program attend twice weekly 2 ½ hour classes. It has a curriculum of five books covering about 2,000 pages of material. It also requires significant study outside class. The program targets people who are within three years of their release dates, though anyone may participate as long as there’s room. Participation is not restricted by a person’s type of conviction.
The program is the first of its kind at WCCW. Defy has also run cohorts at Monroe Corrections Center (MCC) in Snohomish County since 2018 and at Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC) in Grays Harbor County from 2022 to 2024.
“We’re thrilled to bring Defy Ventures to WCCW,” said Associate Superintendent Kari Figueira. “We felt they were a good match for us because it reflects our mission to improve public safety by positively changing lives. Their approach is also grounded in the same values we strive to uphold every day—integrity, respect and supporting people’s success. This partnership gives incarcerated individuals a chance to channel their skills in a positive direction, which benefits them, their families and ultimately, the community.”
Nationwide, Defy Ventures operated in more than 20 prisons across eight states, according to its 2023 annual report, the recent report available. More than 1,400 incarcerated people participated in Defy programs and 872 community members served as volunteer coaches and mentors.
Reducing Recidivism
Besides CEO of Your New Life, Defy offers supports for people after their release. Its Career and Reentry Pathways program connects CEO of Your New Life graduates to skill-building workshops, service providers and employers. Defy also runs a 17-week entrepreneurship course for formerly incarcerated people with stable housing and employment who are interested in starting a business. It also has a business accelerator that supports graduates incorporating their companies and advancing their business management skills.
(Editor’s note: Part three of the “Defying the odds” series will feature a Defy Ventures graduate who started their own business).
Since launching in 2018, Defy has tracked strong outcomes. Approximately 84% of participants find employment within 90 days of release, according to Glazier. Fewer than 10% return to prison within three years—well below the national recidivism rate of around 46%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, BJS. (Editor’s note: The BJS measures recidivism as returning to prison within five years).
CEO of Your New Life culminates with a graduation event competition in which participants pitch their business ideas Shark Tank style to a panel of business leaders. The person with the winning pitch will receive $500, and all graduates of the program receive a Chromebook and post-release career and reentry services upon their release. WCCW’s graduation will take place in December. (Editor’s note: Part two of the “Defying the odds” series will spotlight WCCW’s CEO of Your New Life graduation.)
Inside the Coaching Sessions
For the August 21 coaching exercise, participants were given a mock $20,000 in startup capital and tasked with developing a business plan that could turn a profit within three months.
Business ideas included a funeral home for Native American families that incorporates cultural practices often missing from mainstream services, an eco-company that converts animal waste from shelters into fertilizer and a waterproof survival bag designed for campers and people experiencing homelessness.
Coaches worked with participants on refining costs, marketing strategies and insurance needs.
Among the community volunteers was Candice Baughman. Baughman is CEO and founder of Ed4Empowerment, a company that supports reentry-centered non-profit organizations and state agencies in building meaningful programs for individuals impacted by the justice system.
Baughman is familiar with the struggles of starting up a business with the stigma of having a criminal record—she spent five years at WCCW before her release in 2023. She said returning as a volunteer was powerful.
“Walking back though those gates after my release, not as an incarcerated woman but someone who had bult a new life, carried so much weight,” Baughman said. “It was also healing. Being able to coach women on the inside using my own story showed them that reentry is possible, transformation is real and they are not defined forever by their sentences. It gave purpose to some of the most difficult years of my life.”
Participant TauShelle Ellis-Dorsey hopes to one day run a mobile beauty salon, bringing hair and nail services to clients’ homes, birthday celebrations and bridal parties. She said working with a business coach for the first time gave her some practical direction.
“Now I understand what I need to know,” Ellis-Dorsey said. “I feel more prepared and having someone understand what I’m trying to accomplish is so helpful.”
