Dixie Yagel and Brandon Treat are married entrepreneurs, who have both served time. Dixie even experienced caring for a child while incarcerated. It was actually a blessing, keeping her clean from her drug addiction and focused on her infant. Brandon met Dixie during the 12 step program and things just worked out from there. They both got jobs, then got the idea to put breathalyzers in bars for a free test, then sell advertising on the devices. It started slowly and then they got the idea to do ...
Feb 13, 2019•52 min
A successful tech entrepreneur who sold his company and was set for life, Brian Hamilton decided to help the world by helping those released from prison to have the chance to build a business, as he did. Along with Reverend Robert J. Harris, Brian started a program which has been providing the resources and support for inmates nationwide! Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dave Dahl and Ladd Justesen We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful down...
Feb 13, 2019•51 min
Seth didn't grow up in a typically criminal background: a family of educators, athletes, and they were close. He played a lot of college basketball, being a tall, big man, and turned it into a pro career. After retirement, he went into the financial world. When the recession hit around 2007, he tried to cover his lifestyle by playing another game - outfox the IRS. Not a great idea, and Seth wound up in the Fed system. His time to reflect gave him the perspective he needed, and he turned his atte...
Feb 13, 2019•48 min
A Jersey crime background right out of a movie, we have Larry Lawton. Larry's business started when a friend asked him to talk to his son after catching him smoking some dope. After a "real" discussion with the boy - not the scare treatment, just the real story - father and son turned things around. After that he was asked by a judge to talk to other young people who were at risk, and that was the beginning of the number one program in the US to help youth. The only ex-con was sworn in as an hon...
Jan 30, 2019•52 min
Young people who start the street hustle early, out of desperation, need or fear, often get incarcerated and warehoused. When they're released, they have have been in limbo while time has passed them by. Now what? For Noah Schultz and Guytano Mattaliano, former street buddies, it was start a business not only to recognize a group of forgotten people, but to weave them back into society by making their fashion statement acceptable to all. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dave Dahl and Ladd Just...
Jan 24, 2019•54 min
Being an entrepreneur at a very early age, Jacob Hill had a great idea, the Lazy Camper. Wouldn't people going to a rock concert want to have a backpack full of everything they need to camp out and enjoy the concert? Seemed like a great idea to Jacob and his investor. But it didn't work out, Jacob wound up in debt and in desperation started selling drugs at those same concerts, which landed him in prison, and was a real embarrassment to his ex-police officer parents. There he found a better outl...
Jan 24, 2019•59 min
At first, it was a food addiction at 13 on the family ranch in South Dakota that got Michelle Honeman started. Then in Oregon, it turned to heroin, dealing and prison. Forced to get her GED by the corrections system, it helped Michelle get started on a positive path. It was the birth of her child at 18 and ballooning up to 400 pounds that forced Michelle to decide to live or die - she chose to live. Her journey to get her current addiction, food, under control is the basis for her business, Well...
Jan 23, 2019•58 min
He started out young getting sent to prison and luckily got out while still young. His first "bust" getting expelled from school at 13 for selling weed, Zack went to prison at a young age and him moment of clarity was he could be in prison for a long, long time if he didn't change things immediately. When he got out, he started flipping cars and realized he was good at spotting value, fixing something up and selling it at a profit, so he turned to real estate. His passion for rehabilitation made...
Dec 12, 2018•1 hr 1 min
Who says accountants only see debits and credits, tax forms and financial reports? Dan Morris, the "Dude" in CPA Dudes firm Morris and D'Anglo, knows it's the human spirit that drives innovation, achievement and ultimately organized business. Most CPA firms and other business services don't understand the "WHY" things work and what motivates people to achieve great things and how to value motivation. But he and his partners do and so they support business leaders with accounting practices to hel...
Dec 05, 2018•57 min
Sentenced to 25 years to life and put in Folsom prison at a time it was a killing field, Jeff Rousey finally had to realized he couldn't do whatever he wanted without consequences anymore. Taking advantage of the education system that existed at the time, Jeff earned two degrees and was on the boxing and power lifting teams for his own survival. But what to do after an unexpected release? The community of drinking coffee appealed to him and he decided on only the best coffee, organic, fair trade...
Dec 05, 2018•57 min
While serving his time, Alex suffered the same isolating problem as the other inmates, not having reliable contact with his family to keep him on the right path. An inmate gets only so much time on the prison phone to make a one-way call. If the family member on the other end doesn't answer at that moment, there is no messaging or contact. Corrio allows a third party number to leave messages, texts and emails converted to speech for a nominal sum. And the family can add money to the inmate's acc...
Dec 05, 2018•55 min
Catherine "Cat" Hoke is Founder of Prison Entrepreneurship Program and Defy, both programs created to give hope, teach skills and send ex-felons out in society to succeed. Both programs bring people and resources from the business world into direct contact with the incarcerated to raise the felons' expectations and to show business leaders on the outside that many felons are people who have made mistakes and want to make up for them. She is not without controversy, which follows her now even aft...
Nov 09, 2018•58 min
After serving his sentence, Brandon Treat decided to be a giver. What he gave was a free breathalyzer test to folks bars, restaurants and coffee houses. He took current breathalyzers, removed the money collection and gave a service to the community. And part of the service is to keep the machines calibrated at his expense. Now time to receive. Realizing that people had gathering places where their attention was up for grabs. And he figured one of those places was at the charging station for thei...
Nov 09, 2018•54 min
Family engagement is the number one reason for successful re-entry of the incarcerated. The challenge? Access to the outside is expensive; phone bills can be overwhelming for some families and sending pictures and postcards requires time and postage. Marcus Bullock was "lucky" when he went to prison at age 15. His mother made it a mission to love him hard and sent postcards and pictures every day. Marcus wanted all incarcerated to have the same chance, and started Flikshop. Flikshop works like t...
Nov 09, 2018•57 min
Oregon ballot measures mandated Adults in Custondy (AICs) would work in an enterprise 40 hours a week to learn not only a trade or skill that could translate to a job, but also to learn a work ethic. Yes, the AICs in the program have a job, but this is definitely NOT a job for Barbara Cannard. Since 1995, she has guided the program, which must be self-sustaining, which means no money from the legislature. In addition, the program can't infringe on private enterprise with cheap labor. So she walk...
Nov 02, 2018•57 min
An "Efficiency Expert" for organized crime, Larry was taken down in a big sting in the LA area. He was bounced around in the Federal system and with his bright mind, he learned, and learned a lot. So now, when clients come to him, they're in deep trouble and can be ram-rodded into injustice, and that's where Larry earns his money. He knows the law in that area more than most any lawyer, and is consultant to many law firms. And that's how he moved from the back street to Wall Street. Felony Inc P...
Nov 02, 2018•56 min
Kelly understands many inmates' best time in their lives has been in prison. Under the right conditions, they're sober, removed from the streets and have all the time in the world to work on themselves. As an administrator in the Oregon Department of Corrections, Kelly started as a prison chaplain. This background with a combination of strength, discipline and compassion, she put faith in the ability for someone to change into the programs that have been so successful. Felony Inc Podcast with yo...
Nov 02, 2018•59 min
His mission is to empower others. Being a self-proclaimed arrogant 18-year-old, Mike Pisicotta was destined to spend time in prison to work it out, and he did. He found freedom in the digital world and now he offers to help others do the same using his - and his wife's - experience, advice and programs. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dave Dahl and Ladd Justesen We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer...
Oct 26, 2018•59 min
Dan Bielenberg is creator, inventor, advocate and in charge of the Santiam Corrections Institute, Salem, Oregon's "Business In A Box" program. It's idea is to teach Adults in Custody (AICs) the skills to start, own and operate their own successful business when they get to the outside. He has built the program personally and pushed it up the ladder for acceptability in the system, strictly by his drive and integrity. Success has been sterling; not only have AICs started and kept businesses runni...
Oct 26, 2018•1 hr
Kee has created an experience that comes from her food cart. It is NOT your Mother's Food Cart. She has patrons who come from Los Angeles to Portland to have a meal from her cart. She is a Ninja too; announces her menu on Facebook the night before. For about 20 bucks, you get 2-3 entrees, 2-3 sides and a killer dessert. Just try and eat it all! After release, she was single mother of four and on government assistance. Her biggest goal was to be independent and making it on her own, which she is ...
Oct 26, 2018•1 hr 1 min
A story that must be fiction, but it isn't. In her book, "The Company She Keeps", Georgia was a model at twelve and the original Kodak girl whose picture in retail stores everywhere. But her neighborhood was full of mafiosos and Georgia was caught up in some of the action, including driving a getaway car without really knowing it. And that incident laid the groundwork for being a stunt driver in Hollywood. Like she says, each chapter of her book could be a movie. Felony Inc Podcast with your hos...
Oct 18, 2018•58 min
Ink is Mark's art, trade and business. The kind of ink that goes into the skin. He and his other talented tattoo artists practice body art and take the trade to a whole new level. It's not "Mom" on the arm or "Rosie" on the chest, it's clever, never-seen-before, one-of-a-kind art that comes our of his brilliant studio. But it is so much more that business for Mark. Murder, Ink has been his way to be a legitimate and productive member of the community and offer employment to those who want to mak...
Oct 18, 2018•59 min
As with many successful ex-felons, it was the time in prison to focus on themselves that turned Matt's life around. Christianity has been Matt's foundation and when he got outside, he started talking to people in the street who wanted to hear his story and apply it to their own lives. Now studying Theology in college to continue on his path, Matt has started his own church and has turned his life into helping others. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dave Dahl and Ladd Justesen We record the Fe...
Oct 18, 2018•55 min
PEP - Prison Entrepreneurship Program - is a nonprofit organization that connects business people from the "outside" to prisoners on the inside to prepare them for a business life when they get their fresh start. And nobody would be more qualified to lead the organization than CEO Bryan Kelley. The CEO is for Chief Empowerment Officer and Bryan has walked the walk. Originally serving a life sentence, Bryan used the opportunity to get back in society to turn his life around and when he was asked ...
Oct 12, 2018•56 min
As a twelve year military veteran Ranger, Lee came home and just got in with the wrong crowd. With time to think about it in prison, Lee got the advice of his life, "you're a product of your environment". So he changed his associates. Taking advantage of prison programs, Lee used his love of food and his training at a local restaurant to start his fan-favorite food cart. Using the background of his Spanish mother's and German father's cooking influence, his Papa Lee's cart serves only fresh and ...
Oct 12, 2018•1 hr 4 min
As a "graduate" of Sonja Skvarta's A Social Ignition program while in prison, Jamal Gardner soaked up everything he could to become an entrepreneur. Springing forward upon release, he joined Toastmasters, became president of his club and pushed forward his ideas on carts. Food carts in a mall featuring multi-ethnic dishes, a "hair cart" offering mobile braiding and his own clothing line are all ideas under his Grubbin' brand and he's passing the passion and encouragement on to others. Felony Inc...
Oct 12, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Monta and Dave Dahl met in Powder River prison Dave's last stretch in the box. And Monta also was instrumental in helping co-host Ladd Justesen get housing and a job when he really needed it. An addicted 15-year old on the streets of Portland, his addiction led to crime and put him in and out of prison for a lot of years. Trying to figure out how to break the cycle, he finally found the "next right thing" in prison bootcamp. He realized alcohol was the trigger to his drug use and broke the chain...
Oct 05, 2018•59 min
A very clever man, Frederick was messengering marijuana very, very successfully...until. Then he was faced with the isolation from the very people who could help him through this tough time, his family and friends. Because of security restrictions, it is difficult for inmates to stay connected with their loved ones so Frederick put his cleverness to work and developed Pigeonly (like the bird) to help family find inmates and inmates to find family on sanctioned ecommunication channels. For exampl...
Oct 05, 2018•59 min
Serial entrepreneur David Israel believes in good food for the planet. He founded a multi-store pawn organization that was robbed and David wound up being accused of plotting the heist and wound up in prison after fighting it for 7 years and over a million dollars; it was easier to just serve the sentence. But not one to waste time, he wrote a business plan while in the box for a gourmet popcorn company. After starting, growing and selling the company, he has now moved on to both Good Planet Foo...
Oct 05, 2018•1 hr
Sonja started Social Ignition to teach entrepreneurial skills to inmates to prepare them for a successful life after incarceration. Realizing that isolation from the real world sent inmates out of prison with no marketable skills and set them up to right back into prison. Sonja's program involves both academic work and interaction with business minds operating in the community. Her successes speak for themselves. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dave Dahl and Ladd Justesen We record the Felony...
Aug 31, 2018•1 hr 6 min
