The Prison Entrepreneurship Program Seeks North Texas Leadership Volunteers

Throughout the year, Local Profile hosts a variety of noteworthy events, aimed at connecting the business leaders of North Texas. But on Aug. 15, 2024, Local Profile brought members of the community together to learn about the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP). 

PEP is a nonprofit Christian organization dedicated to transforming inmates' lives through business education and mentorship. PEP engages business owners, community members, entrepreneurs, MBA students and CEOs from Fortune 500 companies as executive volunteers. These volunteers mentor inmate participants, guiding them in developing business models and helping them build meaningful lives and careers post-incarceration.

During the event at The Twelve, sponsored by New York Life and J.Hilburn Stylist Studio, PEP CEO Joseph “Chip” Skowron shared his insights into life in and out of the prison system, and the lack of opportunities for former inmates. “PEP is about giving hope to a community that for quite some time might have been hopeless,” Skowron said. 

“I am certain there are 15 people in this room whom incarceration has affected, and you haven't told anyone,” Skowron said. “So not only is it a challenge to deal with, but it's a stigma in our society. For me, in my journey, prison was actually the easiest part of it — the coming home part was the hard part. In fact, it was the hardest part I've ever faced in my whole life, and that includes surgical residency at Harvard.”

Currently, PEP has 128 participants in its classes, 211 servant volunteers, 60 graduates awaiting release, 58 residents in transition houses and 48 individuals in the eSchool. Additionally, PEP has a network of 4,500 active executive volunteers and 3,200 graduates who have collectively founded 700 businesses. Currently, 90% of PEP staff members are the result of its own program. 

“Our mission is to create a community composed of prisoners, executive volunteers and returning citizens who together, bring compassion, hope and reconciliation into our larger community,” Skowron said. “For four years I was on the board of prison fellowship, and I can tell you this,  the thing that they're missing, we found. It is community, and this community has a message that needs to be spread across the country.” 

PEP is seeking volunteers and mentors for the program, especially in North Texas. With so many business leaders in the community, the opportunities are endless. 

“It's interesting that entrepreneurs would be so interested and that executive volunteers would be so interested in being a part of our community,” Skowron said. “I think that is because when they come into prison and they see the essential elements, the character of these guys, the capacity, the creativity, the leadership, they're blown away and surprised. And then when you layer in a little bit of love and some hope, you suddenly have people who, perhaps for the first time in their lives, are able to dream.”

To learn how to get involved with PEP, visit the link here. 

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