Our Small Business Bootcamp has taken off 🚀✨ Through the support of @activateyourlifeinc and the guidance and energy of @lucindacross, we’ve built a Workforce Development opportunity at WPA that’s educational, impactful, and motivating. This seven-week workshop for formerly incarcerated individuals covers business and marketing skills such as: ✅ Mission statements and visions ✅ Business plans ✅ Competitor analysis ✅ Advertisement strategy and leveraging your network ✅ Budgeting and pricing products Our future CEOs are already preparing for their next steps, having portraits taken for business cards, and beginning to outline business ideas ranging from food services and online retail to wellness and beauty ventures. One client shared, “This entrepreneurship workshop is teaching me how to turn my ideas into a real business. I finally see a path forward for myself.” This cohort is a testament to the power of layered programming and continued investment in our clients’ growth. By meeting clients where they are and guiding them step by step, we’re helping them build sustainable futures, secure jobs and careers, and develop self-reliance. #WorkforceDevelopment #ReentrySupport #Entrepreneur #Marketing #Business #ActivateYoruLife #CareerWorkshop #InvestinWomen (fb)

This order is a step in the right direction. Through Judge Laura Taylor Swain’s decision, a remediation manager will be responsible for making major decisions on policies and practices at Rikers Island moving forward, reporting progress directly to the federal courts. The Rikers Island jail complex, which is legally mandated to close in 2027, has long been in a state of devolution. As conditions worsen, New Yorkers who are incarcerated and work on Rikers suffer. Not only does Rikers need to close but the Department of Corrections requires a fundamental overhaul to center on care rather than control. Opportunity rather than punishment. This is essential for the women we serve, their families, their communities, and our city. Judge Swain’s decision to instate an official who will have the authority and responsibility to make necessary and fundamental reforms at DOC is not just a historic decision but a necessary one, marking an essential turning point in the effort to finally close Rikers Island and create a safe and equitable city for all. #ImageDescription A red background with a screenshot of the New York Times article on top of it, which reads: “Outside Official Will Take Over Deadly Rikers Island Jail, Judge Says | Laura Taylor Swain, a federal judge, seized control of New York City’s lockups, which have been rife with violence and dysfunction.” There is a photo of Rikers Island underneath the headline. #CloseRikers #RiskersIsland #IncarcerationRights (fb)