Social Entrepreneur Andrew Glazier Is Helping Thousands Defy the Odds with His Mission to Cut Recidivism in Half
Andrew Glazier is the CEO and president of Defy Ventures, a national nonprofit focused on entrepreneurship employment and personal development for formerly and currently incarcerated men, women, and young adults. Founded in 2010, Defy Ventures has made significant progress in this arena.
Defy Ventures now operates in seven states, where it has enrolled over 5,000 entrepreneurs in training in prison and in its post-release program, and has engaged thousands of volunteers nationwide. As a result of this work, participants’ one-year recidivism rate is 7.2% as compared to the national average of 30%, and Defy Ventures is proud to say that the employment rate for program graduates is at 82%.
This movement is all about mindset shift, Glazier says. Engaging the business community is key, as successful reentry into the workforce requires open-minded employers who are willing to see a person’s value before dismissing them as a candidate because of their time in the system. Potential employers must be willing to open their minds to this idea. However, it also requires a mindset shift by program participants to recognize and communicate their value and worth as a potential employee.
In this episode of the Grow Ensemble Podcast, we dive deep with Glazier on the topics of recidivism and mass incarceration, entrepreneurship as a rehabilitative tool, and the role of the business community in addressing these issues for this significantly sized and overlooked population.
Want more episodes on companies striving to solve pressing social problems? Listen to:
- #49 — A Refugee Workforce: The Secret to Solving the U.S. Labor Shortage with Chris Chancey, Founder & CEO of Amplio Recruiting
- #43 — The Evolution of the Entrepreneurial Spirit with Frederick Hutson, Founder & CEO of Pigeonly
- #32 — Using AI to Mind the Mental Health of Students & Make Schools Safer with Amy Looper, COO of One Seventeen Media
- #42 — Leveraging Adversity for the Greater Good with Yasmine Mustafa, Social Entrepreneur and CEO of ROAR for Good
Bonus material: Get the full show notes and extras for this episode.
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Listen in for these meaningful takeaways from our chat with Glazier:
- The total scope of mass incarceration and recidivism.
- How to use entrepreneurship as a rehabilitative tool.
- The role the business community has in addressing this population.
- What inhibits organizations like Defy Ventures from growth.
Bonus material: Get the full show notes and extras for this episode.
B the Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.
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