Defy Ventures Colorado Information

Defy Ventures Colorado is a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship, employment, and character development training to currently and formerly incarcerated men and women. Leveraging a blended learning model, we combine the scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of video-based training with life-transforming opportunities for growth through personal coaching and mentoring. We help Entrepreneurs-in-Training (EITs) launch successful careers and businesses and break generational legacies of poverty and incarceration. Through Defy’s program, CEO of Your New Life, EITs make realistic plans and develop sound judgment so they can become the CEOs of their lives, careers, and businesses. Incarcerated EITs learn to craft thoughtful reentry plans, so they are prepared to face life’s challenges post-release. EITs gain hope through a positive vision for their future as Defy equips them to thrive legally. Once EITs are released from prison and gainfully employed, they can choose to become an entrepreneur by enrolling in Defy’s Incubator. In the Incubator, EITs complete critical milestones: create business plans and financing models, incorporate their businesses and find customers and investors. The Incubator includes “Apprentice”-style team challenges; brainstorming/feedback sessions with venture capitalists; and field trips to business schools (e.g., Harvard, Stanford). EITs also compete in “Shark Tank”-style Business Pitch Competitions for startup grants.