On June 28, nine entrepreneurs stood in front of a crowd and pitched the businesses they had spent 12 weeks building. With friends, mentors, community leaders and a panel of judges watching, they told stories of transformation from adversity to opportunity and competed for startup funding in the final pitch competition and graduation of the RISE Business Academy.

The RISE Business Academy, now in its 13th cohort, offers a 12-week intensive entrepreneurship program for Nebraskans who have been incarcerated or have close ties to someone who has. The program equips aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge, mindset and network needed to launch and sustain small businesses. And it continues to support them long after graduation.

The RISE Business Academy is open to individuals who have been incarcerated and have been out of custody for at least one year, as well as those who have a close family member or loved one who is or was incarcerated. Applicants must complete a one-on-one intake meeting with the director to confirm eligibility and understand the program’s commitment and expectations.

“The folks who take this program are serious about what they’re building,” said Jeremy Bouman, founder and CEO of RISE. “And Dr. TJ (Dickson, the program director) doesn’t play, she pushes people, makes sure that you’re on point. These are real businesses that are growing and scaling, and as a community, we have the opportunity today to celebrate them, put some wind in their sails and support them.”

A program rooted in mindset and community

The program goes far beyond business principles. From the first day of class, participants are immersed in a curriculum designed to build resilience, confidence and clarity of purpose.

“One of the biggest things I see is mindset,” Dickson said. “It’s one thing to say that you want to have a business. It’s another to know how to make really great cupcakes. But the mindset is what really, really matters.”

Many participants begin the program with doubt, unsure whether they have what it takes to run a business or navigate complex topics like taxes, legal filings or marketing strategies. RISE meets them where they are, with simple, practical instruction and a culture where no question is too small.

“We try to keep things very practical, very simple language … enough that people get it,” Dickson said. “And we also make sure that they can ask any question at any time when anyone is speaking, so that way they’re heard and they’re seen.”

The program includes classroom sessions, guest speakers from such fields as law and accounting and one-on-one meetings with volunteer mentors. Participants take the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment and learn to build a business plan, pitch deck and growth strategy. On average, they commit 6-8 hours per week.

Since launching in 2021, the RISE Business Academy has graduated 80 participants and helped launch more than 40 businesses that are still active today.

The pitch competition

At the end of the program, participants compete in a business pitch competition, providing an opportunity to showcase their work and win startup funding. A panel of six judges from across the business and creative community listened to pitches, asked questions and awarded $3,250 in prizes.

First place and $1,500 went to Emily Pineda and Juliana Ramirez Cardona for Ritmo y Raíz, a nonprofit dance program that helps youth and families in Lincoln connect with their culture and community through movement. Second place and $1,000 went to Carlos Middlebrooks, founder of Infinite Stories Publishing, who turned personal loss into a children’s book company after being scammed by a past publisher. 

Third place and $500 went to Carmilla Collins for Compassionately Healed Recovery Consulting Services, which draws from Collins’ own recovery journey and offers post-rehab support for minority women. Fourth place was awarded to Brittaney Oliver for Henry Angels Safe House, a respite care service for full-time caregivers that was inspired by her experience caring for her father. She won $250.

“These are all going to be successful enterprises,” Dickson said. “Yes, there’s judging and some money, but regardless of what happens, we want to support them as entrepreneurs.”

Other entrepreneurs who pitched included Summer Brant, founder of Another Hand LLC, a personal assistant service in Lancaster County that offers pet care, event planning, errands and companionship for elderly and homebound individuals. 

Faith Young presented Comforting Faith LLC, which provides grief coaching and support for women who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth, particularly in Omaha’s Black community. 

Brandy Thompson pitched Misfit by Design, a peer-led empowerment and housing program for adults navigating trauma, addiction or instability. The approach was shaped by Thompson’s own recovery journey. 

Mitchell Lloyd introduced Wildfire Coffee, a mission-driven company that donates 50% of its profits to firefighters in need. Lloyd was inspired by his path from incarceration to becoming a firefighter.

All nine participants graduated from the program wearing caps and gowns, marking the completion of their 12-week journey.

A Program That Lasts Beyond the Classroom

RISE’s support doesn’t end after graduation. Participants gain access to microloans, graduate meetups, business promotion and personalized help from program staff and mentors.

“We still are here to support,” Dickson said. “If they need anything, they just contact me and I will see what resources are out there to share with them if we don’t have them.”

That long-term investment has been transformative for graduates like Rhea Vinson, owner of Sweet Meatz Desserts. After 17 years in health care, Vinson began baking during the pandemic to support her family. She joined the program in early 2024 to turn her home-based operation into a scalable business.

“Helping me put together that business plan through their program was actually very essential to my journey,” Vinson said. “Everyone wants to see that you have a formal business plan. So I will say that it was key that I needed that business plan. The program helped me hugely in that way.”

Vinson won first place in her cohort’s pitch competition. The $1,500 award helped her secure permits and rent a commercial kitchen. Since then, she has grown her catering business, launched pop-ups and mobile services and even begun offering free baking classes in the community.

Personally, Vinson said, the most transformative aspect was learning public speaking. “It gave me so much confidence … to see the change in the room. When I started speaking (at the pitch competition), they were staring at me and so quiet because I convinced them.”

As her business grows, Vinson hopes to give back to the RISE community by creating jobs for individuals re-entering society. “One of my goals… is securing funding to hire,” she said. “I’m hoping to hire individuals that are re-entering society… and give back to RISE in that way as well.”

Today, Vinson leads a peer support group for other graduates at a monthly meeting where alums share advice, resources and encouragement. She also serves on the RISE Business Academy committee, helps plan events and volunteers her time to mentor new participants, ensuring the cycle of support continues for future cohorts.

Transforming ideas into businesses

Another graduate, Neosha Broadway, joined the academy in January 2025 to launch The Red Recruiter, a career coaching and training business. Broadway, a former corporate recruiter, noticed a gap between job seekers’ expectations and employers’ needs, especially among those who had been involved in the justice system.

“I never knew any programs quite like this that kind of takes you from your idea stage and kind of baby steps you through the process of starting and launching your own business,” Broadway said.

The program helped her navigate legal filings, build a marketing plan and connect with mentors. Even after graduation, Broadway continues to rely on the RISE network, from monthly meetups to support from Dickson herself.

RISE, she said, “is just a collaborative community, being able to speak and not even needing to know what direction I’m going, but just having a community to guide me. That’s the most valuable piece that I’ve gotten out of it.”

A second chance with real impact

Each graduate’s story shares a common thread: resilience. Whether sparked by incarceration, poverty, addiction recovery or pandemic hardship, each entrepreneur transformed struggle into purpose. The RISE Business Academy provided the structure and support to make it sustainable.

Judges and staff alike noted the emotional power of this year’s pitches.

“I think I speak for a room full of people, you’ve inspired all of us today,” Bouman told the cohort. “Your adaptability and your resilience to be able to take some of the hard things in life and turn them into things that are going to help your families and this community.”

“We know the battle it took for all of you to be here,” Dickson added. “I thank you for sharing your stories and for being exactly who you are. You’re amazing, wonderful humans. And remember, you already are winners. Keep going.”

To learn more about the RISE Business Academy, you can visit their website here.