Remodeling Lives By Second Probabilities: Defy Ventures

In celebration of our companions and the nice work they do to advance financial progress for all, we interviewed a few of our Nasdaq Basis quarterly grant recipients about their roles, backgrounds and the significance of their work. We spoke with Andrew Glazier, CEO and President of Defy Ventures, on their mission to shift mindsets and supply individuals with felony histories their finest shot at a second probability by entrepreneurship, profession readiness, and private growth coaching packages.
 

Inform us about Defy Ventures. What’s its core mission?
Defy Ventures is a nationwide nonprofit whose mission is to shift mindsets to present individuals with felony histories their finest shot at a second probability by entrepreneurship, profession readiness, and private growth coaching packages delivered each in jail and in the neighborhood. Defy’s imaginative and prescient is to chop recidivism (return-to-prison) charges in half by leveraging entrepreneurship to extend financial alternative and rework lives. Defy helps presently and previously incarcerated individuals defy the percentages in prisons, transitional services and in the neighborhood in 9 states throughout the nation. Along with the 1000’s of enterprise executives and leaders in our community, we’re serving to to shift the dialog and panorama of alternative for individuals with felony histories.

Are you able to share a narrative that illustrates the impression of Defy Ventures?
Defy Entrepreneur in Coaching (EIT) Spence joined Defy’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in August of 2024 and rapidly turned a frontrunner amongst his cohort friends as a gregarious and caring EIT. All through the Bootcamp, Spence selected an concept for a procurement firm known as Search & Supply, serving to corporations discover high quality, eco-friendly provides and supplies at the most effective value. This is able to capitalize on his 8 years of expertise working in procurement and logistics for numerous for-profits and nonprofits.

In January of this yr when Spence began prospecting leads, he linked with a fellow New Jersey-based entrepreneur who runs a sneaker and attire enterprise, resulting in his first contract for $7,500. Spence is constant to develop his enterprise by the Defy Enterprise Accelerator program, constructing on the data, construction, and connections to make his dream a actuality.

Are you able to inform us extra about Defy’s Pathway to Entrepreneurship program? What impression are you hoping the Nasdaq Basis’s Quarterly Grant can have on its success?
Defy’s Pathway to Entrepreneurship program supplies holistic, beginning-to-end help and coaching from enterprise idea growth to enterprise launch for previously incarcerated people who’re occupied with exploring entrepreneurship. This system consists of three key program phases designed for previously incarcerated entrepreneurs: an Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, a Pre-Accelerator, and a Enterprise Accelerator. Our Entrepreneurs in Coaching, or EITs, who enroll within the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, take part in a 17-week, twice-weekly on-line night periods led by a Defy facilitator. 

On the finish of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp program, EITs can have a enterprise idea and a Minimal Viable Product concept prepared for testing. The bootcamp program additionally helps the non-public growth of EITs, by serving to them to develop a constructive, entrepreneurial mindset.  Throughout the Bootcamp program, EITs take part in two Enterprise Teaching occasions, and a Enterprise Pitch Showcase & Commencement. Upon completion of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, EITs earn a Certificates of Entrepreneurship from The Drucker College of Administration at Claremont Graduate College.

Defy EITs who full the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and who want to launch their enterprise idea are invited to use for the Defy Enterprise Accelerator program, which is a 5-month program that helps EITs by the method of launching and rising a small enterprise. If accepted into the accelerator, EITs undertake superior coursework in entrepreneurship and enterprise administration whereas receiving teaching and 1:1 mentorship from executive- stage enterprise volunteers.

Along with permitting us to proceed our entrepreneurship pathway in markets throughout all 9 states, the Nasdaq Quarterly Grant has enabled us to pilot a brand new program providing inside our Entrepreneurship Pathway particularly for previously incarcerated individuals with tech expertise. Our first tech entrepreneurship bootcamp kicked off in January 2025 and can full in Could. Companies in growth vary from apps to make buying safer to AI-enabled internet functions. We’re trying ahead to advancing a number of EITs from this group into our accelerator this summer time.

What’s on the horizon in 2025 for Defy Ventures?
This yr, we hope to serve not less than 100 Entrepreneurs in Coaching throughout the nation and help the launch of 25 new companies. We’re additionally working to include AI into our entrepreneurship programming in order that our EITs can discover ways to reap the benefits of the ability of AI in creating their companies. 

In celebration of our companions and the nice work they do to advance financial progress for all, we interviewed a few of our Nasdaq Basis quarterly grant recipients about their roles, backgrounds and the significance of their work. We spoke with Andrew Glazier, CEO and President of Defy Ventures, on their mission to shift mindsets and supply individuals with felony histories their finest shot at a second probability by entrepreneurship, profession readiness, and private growth coaching packages.
 

Inform us about Defy Ventures. What’s its core mission?
Defy Ventures is a nationwide nonprofit whose mission is to shift mindsets to present individuals with felony histories their finest shot at a second probability by entrepreneurship, profession readiness, and private growth coaching packages delivered each in jail and in the neighborhood. Defy’s imaginative and prescient is to chop recidivism (return-to-prison) charges in half by leveraging entrepreneurship to extend financial alternative and rework lives. Defy helps presently and previously incarcerated individuals defy the percentages in prisons, transitional services and in the neighborhood in 9 states throughout the nation. Along with the 1000’s of enterprise executives and leaders in our community, we’re serving to to shift the dialog and panorama of alternative for individuals with felony histories.

Are you able to share a narrative that illustrates the impression of Defy Ventures?
Defy Entrepreneur in Coaching (EIT) Spence joined Defy’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in August of 2024 and rapidly turned a frontrunner amongst his cohort friends as a gregarious and caring EIT. All through the Bootcamp, Spence selected an concept for a procurement firm known as Search & Supply, serving to corporations discover high quality, eco-friendly provides and supplies at the most effective value. This is able to capitalize on his 8 years of expertise working in procurement and logistics for numerous for-profits and nonprofits.

In January of this yr when Spence began prospecting leads, he linked with a fellow New Jersey-based entrepreneur who runs a sneaker and attire enterprise, resulting in his first contract for $7,500. Spence is constant to develop his enterprise by the Defy Enterprise Accelerator program, constructing on the data, construction, and connections to make his dream a actuality.

Are you able to inform us extra about Defy’s Pathway to Entrepreneurship program? What impression are you hoping the Nasdaq Basis’s Quarterly Grant can have on its success?
Defy’s Pathway to Entrepreneurship program supplies holistic, beginning-to-end help and coaching from enterprise idea growth to enterprise launch for previously incarcerated people who’re occupied with exploring entrepreneurship. This system consists of three key program phases designed for previously incarcerated entrepreneurs: an Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, a Pre-Accelerator, and a Enterprise Accelerator. Our Entrepreneurs in Coaching, or EITs, who enroll within the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, take part in a 17-week, twice-weekly on-line night periods led by a Defy facilitator. 

On the finish of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp program, EITs can have a enterprise idea and a Minimal Viable Product concept prepared for testing. The bootcamp program additionally helps the non-public growth of EITs, by serving to them to develop a constructive, entrepreneurial mindset.  Throughout the Bootcamp program, EITs take part in two Enterprise Teaching occasions, and a Enterprise Pitch Showcase & Commencement. Upon completion of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, EITs earn a Certificates of Entrepreneurship from The Drucker College of Administration at Claremont Graduate College.

Defy EITs who full the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and who want to launch their enterprise idea are invited to use for the Defy Enterprise Accelerator program, which is a 5-month program that helps EITs by the method of launching and rising a small enterprise. If accepted into the accelerator, EITs undertake superior coursework in entrepreneurship and enterprise administration whereas receiving teaching and 1:1 mentorship from executive- stage enterprise volunteers.

Along with permitting us to proceed our entrepreneurship pathway in markets throughout all 9 states, the Nasdaq Quarterly Grant has enabled us to pilot a brand new program providing inside our Entrepreneurship Pathway particularly for previously incarcerated individuals with tech expertise. Our first tech entrepreneurship bootcamp kicked off in January 2025 and can full in Could. Companies in growth vary from apps to make buying safer to AI-enabled internet functions. We’re trying ahead to advancing a number of EITs from this group into our accelerator this summer time.

What’s on the horizon in 2025 for Defy Ventures?
This yr, we hope to serve not less than 100 Entrepreneurs in Coaching throughout the nation and help the launch of 25 new companies. We’re additionally working to include AI into our entrepreneurship programming in order that our EITs can discover ways to reap the benefits of the ability of AI in creating their companies.