He managed it with a huge assist from Venturing Out, a Wellesley-based nonprofit that offers inmates about to be released from prison a 12-week course called Entrepreneurship 101. It teaches them how to start their own businesses in an outside world where steady work will be hard to find, especially for someone with a criminal record.
Gibson, the proud proprietor of OnthaMark, an online talent and marketing agency, is not the only one to benefit from the program.
A young woman who was an early graduate went to cooking school and is now well on her way to starting her own restaurant. Another has become a motivational speaker at women’s shelters, and some Venturing Out graduates want to start their own nonprofit organizations.
According to US Justice Department statistics, about 730,000 prisoners were released from state and federal prisons last year; just about half will end up back inside within three years. At least a third of former prisoners can’t find employment in their first year after being released, according to the Urban Institute. Many turn to drugs and alcohol, and their lives unravel.
“We can either teach them to be better learners and taxpayers, or they can go back to prison,’’ said Larry Buckley, a Venturing Out instructor. “It costs $45,000 a year to imprison someone, and you get nothing back. But if the same person is running a business, they pay taxes and create jobs. And if they’re doing that, then they’re not selling drugs to your kids.’’
Venturing Out students learn how to assess competition, price their services, keep overhead low, negotiate effectively, and hire the right people. They graduate with complete business plans that will help them launch small, practical businesses: housecleaning, auto repair, landscaping. Businesses that require little startup cash and don’t take long to start making money.
“Venturing Out doesn’t give you a fish, it teaches you how to fish,’’ said Gibson. “It says, ‘Here’s something else, you are worth something. You can leave your mark in this world.’ ’’
