Events

After being locked up for 18 years, Entrepreneurship changed Chris' life.

Last night Chris shared his life before he was incarcerated, being locked up from 1998 to 2016, and the transformation of his life after being released. He's now an entrepreneur, a motivational speaker, a mentor, and a VERY positive impact on society.

What he said in that room does not get shared publicly. But just imagine everything that happened in the world that he missed for those 18 years! What saved him was his passion and drive to learn and get his degrees during that time.

We take for granted the freedoms that we have in our daily lives and the access to what we have access to. During this intimate conversation, I think all of us experienced a significant moment in empathy.

Because of his real life experiences, he has now committed his time and energy to helping Defy Ventures. An organization that gives all their energy to helping people, who have been impacted by the justice system, learn about entrepreneurship so that they can build a life and add value to society when they're released.

I LOVE and support everything that Melissa, Jon, and the team at Defy Ventures are doing!

So far I've gone to two different maximum security prisons, to volunteer to help teach real world business skills to the people that did the work to qualify for this program. Both times were the most impactful experiences I've had doing any type of volunteer work. Last time there were 10 of us from Orion3 that went with them.

There was not a single person in the room that didn't have tears in their eyes, during the graduation ceremony, when some of them saw their families for the first time in over a decade.

I've had more friends, from back in the day, who went to prison or died of unnatural causes than anyone else I know. I've seen the impact prison makes on people and its a place I never want to be in.

Thank YOU to @chitowntechgirl for having me into @defy_ventures 🙏🏾

Thank YOU to @hive2handn, @gerdys_gourmet for your amazing products for everyone

Thank YOU to my @killerspin family for hosting

#Orion3