Meet Bryan Kelley of Prison Entrepreneurship Program in North Dallas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Kelley.

Bryan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 1992 I was given a life sentence for murder at the Frank Crowley Courts building in Dallas, Texas. That sentence was the fruits of a Godless life focused on self. I had killed a man in a drug deal gone horribly wrong and remanded to prison with a sentence that looked a lot like forever.

About a year into my incarceration a light came on within me and I turned toward a life of faith in Christ. That switch made all the difference. I began to work on self, earned a degree in psychology, became a college tutor and then taught classes in prison as a peer-educator. Later I would serve as a peer-educator for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP), helping men turn their lives around and preparing them for successful re-entry into prison by empowering them with a new set of skills and a new network of support.

Having served nearly 22 years, I was given parole and returned to Dallas. The organization that I helped me on the inside offered me a job helping men just like me get out and get on their feet–I did so with gusto. I soon moved up the ladder and managed a team in Dallas helping scores of returning citizens. Later I would switch roles and recruit socially-minded men and women from the business community to go into prison and impact participants just like me. Ultimately, I was offered to serve as the CEO of PEP. That is quite a trek for someone that got out of prison just four short years ago having never Googled anything, sent an email, used a debit or credit card and never using a cell phone.

Today I help program participants to move from being tax consumers to taxpayers; from gang leaders to servant-leaders; from pariahs to parents, employers and even philanthropists.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As someone who has been out of pocket for over 20 years, the technology learning curve was steep. It took me quite some time to learn how to navigate around the internet, and even how to order coffee at Starbucks. I have encountered many obstacles along the way. Just recently I was in search of an apartment or condo and found that very few landlords will rent to ex-felons…even ones with a title of CEO. And meeting someone to love and care about is often a difficult step. It’s very hard selling my past to someone that has been biased by movies, TV shows and the media. Imagine sharing with their family members about my past.

Navigating life with the tether of parole is not always easy. I have to receive permission every time I need to travel out of state and that clearance is not always easy…even when I’m invited to the White House or to speak as a prison reform advocate.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Founded in 2004, the Prison Entrepreneurship Program seeks to reduce recidivism and increase economic opportunity for incarcerated individuals through entrepreneurship training and re-entry services. PEP utilizes leadership and entrepreneurship curriculum in four prison units across Texas and provides re-entry services for its graduates, including transitional assistance, temporary housing and post-release employment and entrepreneurship support.

PEP’s mission is to unite executives and inmates through entrepreneurial passion and servant leadership to transform lives, restore families and rebuild communities.

PEP’s vision is to be an inspired national leader in prisoner re-entry.

We strive to empower our men to move from being tax consumers to taxpayers; from gang leaders to servant leaders; and from felons to real fathers and philanthropists.

We sport a 3yr recidivism rate of at or below 7.5%, when nationally over half of all released felons go back to prison within 3 years. We are currently placing released men in a job in about 17 days, when the national average is closer to 6 months. And our starting wage for a first job out of prison is 160% over minimum wage. We have seen more than 360 businesses started by our 2000+ graduates. And we have also seen literally hundreds of executive volunteers find significance in their retired lives by helping our participants redirect theirs.

What were you like growing up?
I was a popular kid in school; well liked, one of the best athletes, but also a good student. I was a homecoming king candidate and I was offered a track scholarship to a small division two school. However, I took a turn for the wild side. Drugs and alcohol became my focus.

I grew up in a single-parent home, my dad having let my mother and I to fend for ourselves. I was also an only-child, and that played into my self-centeredness. Times were often hard financially, but we survived.

Pricing:

• $2.8MM annual budget
• 29 employees
• 100% privately funded
• $122MM Economic Impact on Texas

Contact Info:

• Address: 4140 Director’s Row, Suite B
  Houston, TX 7709210830 N Central Expy, Suite 240
  Dallas, TX 75231
• Website: www.pep.org
• Phone: 832.767.0928
• Email: info@pep.org
• Facebook: @prisonentrepreneurship

Image Credit:
Israel Thompson

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