Defy Colorado is in the business of transforming lives of people with criminal histories. It can be hard to get a grasp on the power of Defy Colorado without making a visit to prison, but on April 24th, Defy Colorado set out to change that by hosting their first ever “Demo Day” at Boulder’s iconic Dairy Arts Center. The event offered a glimpse of how Defy Colorado brings people with criminal histories together with community members to create change as they walk through an entrepreneurial journey together.

During the Demo Day, two recently released graduates of Defy Colorado’s in-prison entrepreneurship program pitched their business ideas to a panel of experts. Buck Adams is seeking to develop an e-commerce website similar to Etsy to sell prison art. Ronnie Madrid hopes to launch a taco truck. Both Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) received praise and feedback from an esteemed panel of judges including Jason Mendelson, Partner, Foundry Group; Beth Walker, Dean, School of Business at Colorado State University; and Lauren Lambert, Head of Public Policy and Government Relations, Google. The event also featured a panel discussion in which representatives from the Colorado Department of Corrections, EITs, family members and volunteers shared the impact Defy has had on them.

Defy Colorado’s eight-month training program provides life and business skills to people who are currently incarcerated. In its first full year of operations, Defy Colorado graduated nearly 90 EITs, and has plans to graduate another 90 men and women in 2019.

Defy’s Demo Day raised more than $70,000 for Defy Colorado, but their need is still great! Learn more by tuning into our recent interview with Defy or visiting their website at: defycolorado.org.