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Charles Waldrop

 

September 16, 2010, 10 am Pacific, 11 am Mountain, Noon Central, 1 pm EST, 2 pm Atlantic, 1900 (7 pm) Zurich and Istanbul


Starting a Successful Ex-Offender Entrepreneur Program

(including setting up a non-profit and partnering with community organizations)


Many ex-offenders want to start their own businesses. Learn the primary steps, methods, contents, and highlights to equip ex-offenders for this challenge. The speaker will discuss concrete examples from his recent entrepreneur classes, including required texts and results obtained.  Discover the important elements, steps, methods, contents, and highlights of starting a successful ex-offender entrepreneur preparation program.


Activity:  Set up Your Own Ex-Offender Entrepreneur Curriculum


Attached is a sample currculum for an ex-offender class set up by the speaker.  If you are interested in setting up your own curriculum for this population, consider the following:


  • Who would you partner with in the community to establish the program?
  • What cases of small business owners who overcame major barriers to set up their own businesses would be illustrative in the class discussion?
  • Whom would you invite as guest speakers (i.e., small business owners such as the above)?
  • What sample business plans would you provide so that participants could prepare their own business plans?

Following is material that could be helpful to get you started in setting up an ex-offender entrepreneur program:


Contact:

Charles Waldrop, Director
The Center for Government Contracting-SBDC
Bill J. Priest Institute Campus Of El Centro College
Phone: (214)860-5841
Fax: (214) 860-5867
E-mail: c.waldrop@dcccd.edu
Internet:  www.ntsbdc.org



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Opening Instructions for Listeners

Before we begin, here are a few instructions for listeners:

  • If you have a question, press 5* on your phone.
  • Directly after the interview, be sure to fill out the evaluation linked to your call-in instructions, especially if you want to earn CEUs. 
  • Please register at least 24 - 48 hours before the interview so we have time to send out the call-in information.
  • If you'd like to listen to more of these tele-interviews, and your organization is not currently a subscriber, contact me with someone I can talk with about subscribing your organization so you can listen for free (except for the cost of your distance provider). Email info@ careerwell.org or call 415.312.4294.

Introduction

 

Charles P. Waldrop is President and CEO of Community Area Partners,  Inc., a nonprofit based in Dallas, Texas.  In this capacity, he has worked with hundreds of formerly incarcerated persons in helping them make a successful transition from prison back to society.  His organization has helped almost 1,000 ex-offenders on their journey, with a less than five percent recidivism rate.  Dr. Waldrop developed “The Entrepreneurial Alternative”, a proactive ten week course to help the formerly incarcerated develop skills to successfully start and operate a small business. To date, 40 students have successfully completed this class. Some have gone on to start their own businesses, and others have successfully become employed.  Dr. Waldrop has been on the faculty of eleven major universities, and is also Director of the Center for Government Contracting in Dallas. 

 

Today he will talk about his his entrepreneur course for formerly incarcerated persons.  Be sure to view his Careerwell page at careerwell.org, on which he generously posted his lesson plan, powerpoint, and loads of additional information. 

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Intro

This is Dr. Sally Gelardin with Careerwell Tele-Interviews. Our speaker today, Charles P. Waldrop, is President and CEO of Community Area Partners,  Inc., a nonprofit based in Dallas, Texas.  In this capacity, he has worked with hundreds of formerly incarcerated persons in helping them make a successful transition from prison back to society.  His organization has helped almost 1,000 ex-offenders on their journey, with a less than five percent recidivism rate.  Dr. Waldrop has developed “The Entrepreneurial Alternative”, a proactive ten week course to help the formerly incarcerated develop skills to successfully start and operate a small business. To date, 40 students have successfully completed this class. Some have gone on to start their own businesses, and others have successfully become employed.  Dr. Waldrop has been on the faculty of eleven major universities, and is also Director of the Center for Government Contracting in Dallas.    

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    Interview Questions


  1. Why is there a need for ex-offender entrepreneur training programs? SLIDE 2
  2. What are the benefits for ex-offenders of becoming an entrepreneur rather than getting a job?
  3. What are the challenges for ex-offenders of becoming an entrepreneur rather than getting a job?
  4. What are the motivations for students to take your entrepreneur training course?
  5. What do you teach? (changing mindset, how to start and operate a business, ethics) (SLIDES 12-13)
  6. How do you teach? (case studies, text book, workbook, student talk about their experience, class discussion) SLIDE 4
  7. How do you assess student knowledge? (students write business plan) SLIDES 7-11, 17-18
  8. How are graduating students able to put their learnings into effect? (provide start-up grants) SLIDES 19-20, 22
  9. How do you measure their success? (starting and growing their business or employment, SBDC evaluations)
  10. What kinds of challenges do they face and how can these challenges be overcome?
  11. How do you recruit students? (communicate outreach - Urban League, Texas Correction Systems, community providers)
  12. What are your projected outcomes for the entrepreneur training? (SLIDE 21)
  13.  Are there other entrepreneur programs related to offenders? (in-prison program)
  14. What do you find is effective for those who are still in prison? (mentoring)
  15. I understand that you do additional work besides serving as a SBDC advisor.  What else do you do and how is that related to your SBDC job?
  16. Do you use assessments in your SBDC role as an advisor for individuals starting and growing a business? (intake, interests, skills, values, experience)
  17. What other populations might benefit from this training?
  18. What other applications can you see an entrepreneur course like yours having?
  19. How can listeners get in touch with you if they have questions?


 

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Closing

 

Thank you, Charles Waldrop,  for sharing valuable  information on Starting a Successful Ex-Offender Entrepreneur Program. Listeners,  be sure to view his Careerwell Web page, filled with lesson plans and great resources. On 9/23, inspirational Carmen Croonquest  discusses Positive Psychology: Yes Your Way to Good Career Decisions, and on 9/30,  Jim Sampson shares How to Plan and Implement a Career Services Program.  Until next week, this is Dr. Sally Gelardin with Careerwell Tele-Interviews.

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