The California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) at Norco recently hosted a Defy Ventures graduation and business pitch competition.
The event marked the culmination of six months of hard work and training for the incarcerated participants in the Entrepreneurs-in-Training Defy Ventures program.
The students presented their business ideas in several rounds of a competition styled after the popular TV show “Shark Tank.” They made their pitches to panels of community business leaders who acted as judges. The judges asked clarifying questions, provided feedback to strengthen the business concepts and pitches, and evaluated the overall presentations. The judges then selected competition winners.
At the end of the day, five winning pitches were selected from the group in an awards ceremony, followed by a cap-and-gown graduation ceremony. The entrepreneur students earned a Certificate of Entrepreneurship issued by the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.
What is Defy Ventures?
The organization is a national nonprofit with a vision to cut recidivism rates by leveraging entrepreneurship to increase economic opportunity and transform lives. These programs help current and formerly incarcerated people by providing pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and successful reentry.
Submitted by Harrison Glin, community resource manager
Read more rehabilitation stories.
Follow CDCR on YouTube, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter).
Related content
Painting Over It: Healing Through Arts at CIM
Damian Reyes has converted incarceration into rehabilitation, thanks to Healing Through Arts, a program started at California State Prison, Los Angeles County.…
Read More
Transforming lives: How CDCR is redefining prison education
A sprawling education system, complete with accredited adult schools, college classes and career training designed to transform lives, exists within…
Read More
Why CSP‑Solano’s vocational programs are on the rise
When Summer Peterson officially started at California State Prison (CSP) Solano, last September, she came with an understanding of the rehabilitative…
Read More