Entrepreneurship presents powerful opportunities for individuals and communities. Here at The Mill, we want to grow our startup ecosystem and create access for more people, including the formerly incarcerated.
Participants in this six-week program learn how to focus their business ideas, get customer validation, and present their business to potential investors. At the end of the program, participants deliver their business pitches, and the winner takes home a little seed money for their business. All participants become members of The Mill, where they can take advantage of additional free programs to grow their businesses and connect to an extensive network of mentors and investors.
To find eligible participants, we partner with New Leaf – New Life, which supports incarcerated individuals to make a successful transition back into the community, and Courage to Change, which offers low-barrier housing and services to individuals in recovery. These organizations help identify and refer program candidates. All participants meet stability metrics—full-time employment, stable living situation, established sobriety—and are fully vetted.
The fall 2021 cohort runs from October 18 to November 22.