Class 13 Hosts Successful Back–to–Back Events

On February 26th and 27th‚ Class 13 Participants and PEP staff hosted more than 30 executive and MBA volunteers for Venture Capital Panel and Concept Day. PEP graduates and Volunteers joined us at the Cleveland Correctional Unit to help Class 13 Participants work through their initial business plans‚ and further shape the concepts over the two days.

To see photos of this fabulous event‚ visit our photo gallery here.

For more information about attending Class 13 events‚ check out our RSVP web site here.

PEP and MBA Volunteers Featured in BusinessWeek!

Many thanks to the MBA students and educators that work with PEP – you make a tremendous difference!

Click Here to Read the Article.

The Business Plan Advisor Experience

A first-hand look at a PEP event from the eyes of Business Plan Advisor Pablo Gonzales.

After spending a few hours in prison for the first time on Saturday February 26th‚ I realized I wasn’t the only person experiencing something completely new‚ so were most of the participants. Over and over again‚ testimony after testimony‚ described an environment they had never experienced before‚ and one that was far removed from my pre–visit expectations.



Having never been to a prison‚ my expectations were based on content that I had seen in reality TV shows and movies. I imagined a world where violence‚ hate‚ and segregation coexisted to break even the strongest of human spirits leaving nothing, but bare survival instincts. This image of prison was reaffirmed by several participants as their stories vividly painted the nightmare they had been a part of for years and in some cases decades living within the prison system.

What does Servant-Leader Mentality mean to you?

We recently released a profile piece on our Re-Entry Coordinators, and the role of Servant-Leader Mentality in our work. If you didn't receive it in the mail, you can download the PDF here!

Then, join the conversation about what Servant-Leader Mentality means to you on our Facebook and Twitter Pages!

Straight from the Inside

Class 13 is working hard to get ready for Etiquette Night‚ and competition is fierce for the Mr. Manners crown! They've made it through their first character assessment, three events and more tests and quizzes than they can remember. Read what they're thinking in the latest journal entry:

"Something is happening inside my heart. The very fact that all of these successful business people come and take an interest in my life is having profound effects on my soul."

Read More Journals Here