You’ve Got What It Takes By Ericka Foster and Natalie Rodriguez-Steen In his article for Entrepreneur magazine, ex-offender and entrepreneur Andrew Medal says that three reasons that the formerly incarcerated make good entrepreneurs are: •
They can handle uncertainty They are creative thinkers They are experts in resourcefulness
When searching for support online, be sure to type in • keywords like “microloans” and “small business And while many people have this desire to own incubator” to get the most their own business, to nurture their own idea, they out of your search. don’t know. A small business incubator can help individuals learn the tools and techniques to grow their ideas, and therefore gain the confidence to be an entrepreneur. On the next page, we included a list of resources and programs for former inmates to learn about entrepreneurship. •
This is not a comprehensive list; this is just a place to get started. When searching for organizations to help ex-offenders become entrepreneurs, also look for organizations specifically focusing on women and/or minorities.
8