Twenty-seven incarcerated women at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (NCCW) attended a kick-off event for Defy Ventures' "CEO of Your New Life" program on Feb. 15.
Citing the women in his life for many of his successes, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) Director Scott R. Frakes was ecstatic to introduce Defy to the women at NCCW.
"It's the strong women who are going to help fix America," he said.
NCCW marks the fourth facility in Nebraska and just the third women's facility in the country to offer the program. The six- to seven-month class focuses on entrepreneurship, career readiness, character development and reentry preparation. The incarcerated women who are accepted into the program, now known as Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs), will begin meeting three times a week beginning on March 1.
"I think it's a great opportunity for these women," NCCW Warden Denise Davidson said. "It gives them motivation and teaches commitment. I'm excited to see where it goes."
At the kick-off event, Defy team members introduced the program by asking "what if you were only known for the worst thing you've ever done?"
Jeremy Bouman, executive director of Defy Ventures Nebraska followed by saying, "We don't want that to define you. We transform your hustle so you have the opportunity to launch legal businesses that can be profitable quickly."
Future EIT Amanda Wardlow-Stubblefield encouraged her son, Russell, through the program at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI). She hasn't seen Russell since 2013, but instead relies on his detailed letters to keep up-to-date. Lately, those letters have been largely about Defy. Russell graduated from the program just weeks ago and after seeing the change it brought on in his life, Wardlow-Stubblefield is excited to get her feet off the ground too.
"It was everything from the moment Defy hit Tecumseh," Wardlow-Stubblefield said through tear-filled eyes. "It gave him motivation; a reason to stay out of trouble. I'm going to make it through the program too."