Defying the Odds

Wednesday, January 31 at 12PM CT

Session Description:

Join Defy Illinois, Illinois Extension, and Wisconsin Extension for a discussion of hurdles to entrepreneurship and economic mobility faced by people of color and those impacted by the legal system. We’ll summarize what Extension learned through research studies with business owners of color in rural Wisconsin. Then we’ll describe how Defy Ventures’ evidence-informed approach to business and personal development education addresses many barriers experienced by people with criminal records, equipping them to contribute to local economic development in their communities. The program is now active in Wisconsin and Illinois where Entrepreneurs in Training are learning to defy the odds both inside and outside prison. 

Participants will learn how to use entrepreneurial and personal development training to build inclusive economies for people impacted by the legal system, the majority of whom are people of color. We will discuss the research that contributed to the need to develop solutions like Defy Ventures that empower individuals to build pathways to financial independence. 

Learning Objectives:
 

1)    Understand how to utilize entrepreneurship and personal development education to build inclusive economies by focusing on the often-untapped potential of currently and formerly incarcerated Illinoisians.

2)    Understand more about economic disparities, limited economic mobility, and barriers to starting businesses encountered by people of color and justice-impacted individuals. 

3)    Learn about the power of a prosocial community that believes in fair chances to combat the effects of negative social stigma and the prevalent economic marginalization that accompanies those with criminal convictions. 

Call to Action: Join the movement to transform lives and communities by volunteering at coaching events, donating, and spreading the word. Let’s give all Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) their best shot at a second chance.

Presenter Bios

Melissa O’Dell is the Executive Director of Defy Ventures Illinois and has been on the Defy Ventures team for the last eight years in various roles of responsibility. Most recently, before her position as Executive Director, Melissa was the Vice President of Programs on the national team. Melissa received her BA from Franklin and Marshall College in Government and Women’s Studies and a Master’s degree from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in Social Work and Public Policy. She spent seven years at the Center for Court Innovation working to provide new opportunities to individuals involved in the criminal justice system and increase the efficacy of the judiciary. From there, Melissa served as the founding Program Director of the Community Assessment and Services Center in San Francisco, a large-scale reentry resource hub, assisting clients on probation returning from incarceration. Melissa was also an adjunct lecturer in the MPA program at San Francisco State University and was the Chairwoman of the Board for NYC TOGETHER.

Diana Hammer (she/her) holds the academic position of Associate Professor with Tenure in the Division of Extension at UW-Madison and has been a Community Development Educator in Fond du Lac County, WI since 2007. Before launching the Partnership with colleagues, Hammer spent seven years providing entrepreneurship education and one-on-one business coaching with Latinx, Black, and Asian entrepreneurs and supporting the creation of a 13-organization entrepreneurial development system. In 2014, she initiated a research project with Ripon College students to interview immigrant and BIPOC business owners which led to the publication of an article in Community Development and an Extension WIndicator with Dr. Joseph Malual (University of IL Extension). A second study in conjunction with the nonprofit Fit Oshkosh in 2019 resulted in 48 interviews with Black business owners in northeastern Wisconsin counties and a third study in Milwaukee County in 2021. Additionally, Diana has professional-level fluency in Spanish and expertise in inclusive group facilitation, educational non-discrimination practices, and language access.

Joseph Malual is a University of Illinois regional Extension Specialist in Community and Economic Development. He works with communities, businesses, organizations, and local governments to identify critical issues and delivers practical educational programs to help communities make decisions and solve problems. With an interdisciplinary background in economics, sociology, and sustainable agriculture, Malual utilizes a system approach to help communities and organizations identify and address root causes of issues and engage community assets to maximize benefits. His areas of programming and research interests include community-based food systems, food security, small business development and minority entrepreneurship, health equity, and international development. Before joining Illinois Extension in 2020, Malual worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension for five years as a community and economic development educator where he focused on community capacity building, including organizational development, strategic planning, community needs assessment, community food systems, and minority entrepreneurship. Malual has worked with the Criminal Justice Collaborating Council, the Department of Human Services, and other stakeholders to assess and develop strategies to facilitate recovery and reintegration of justice-involved individuals into the community. Malual holds a Ph.D. in development sociology and Sustainable Agriculture from Iowa State University. Program Director for Hawthorne Hill Ministry English as a Second Language, and a refugee resettlement case manager at the Lutheran Social Services in Iowa. He has a combined experience of 15 years working as a Community Mental Health Counselor in Iowa and Virginia. Malual draws on this experience and collaborates with Extension educators and faculty to develop effective educational programming that helps communities in Illinois improve their quality of life.