'Refoundry' is a non-profit organization that helps former inmates start their own businesses. Although there are a number of programs that provide job training for the formerly incarcerated, many of these individuals end up in low-wage positions that do not provide a steady source of income. In order to help former inmates secure long-term employment, Refoundry focuses on helping these individuals become their own boss.
Refoundry was started by Cisco Pinedo and Thomas Safian in the spring of this year. Pinedo and Safian started the organization as a way of helping the formerly incarcerated secure long-term employment by teaching them how to start their own business. Instead of providing basic job training, Refoundry teaches each individual how to launch a startup. The idea behind the program is to help former inmates avoid low-wage jobs and ultimately stay out of prison.
Refoundry is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to continue its work helping the formerly incarcerated integrate into the job market.
Ex-Offender Startups
This Company Helps Former Inmates Start Their Own Businesses
Trend Themes
1. Entrepreneurship Training - Refoundry teaches former inmates how to start their own businesses, opening up opportunities for entrepreneurial success.
2. Inmate Rehabilitation - Refoundry focuses on helping formerly incarcerated individuals become their own boss, offering a path to long-term employment and reducing the likelihood of reoffending.
3. Social Impact - Refoundry's mission to empower ex-offenders through entrepreneurship creates positive social change by providing opportunities for economic stability and community integration.
Industry Implications
1. Non-profit Organizations - Nonprofits like Refoundry play a crucial role in supporting reentry programs and providing resources to help ex-offenders start their own businesses.
2. Prison Reform - Refoundry's approach to equipping former inmates with entrepreneurial skills encourages innovation within the prison reform industry by addressing unemployment and reintegration challenges.
3. Job Training - Refoundry's unique focus on teaching entrepreneurship to ex-offenders highlights the potential for disruptive innovation in the job training industry by offering a more comprehensive approach to employment preparation.