I am a freedom seeker and because of it I chose entrepreneurship as my way of
I chose entrepreneurship as my way of
I chose entrepreneurship as my way of life but I learned along my journey that
life but I learned along my journey that
life but I learned along my journey that it is about much more than starting a
it is about much more than starting a
it is about much more than starting a business or freedom of choice
entrepreneurship can be the life-saving
entrepreneurship can be the life-saving gift that someone desperately needs when
gift that someone desperately needs when
gift that someone desperately needs when they’ve lost all hope of earning a
they’ve lost all hope of earning a
they’ve lost all hope of earning a living you see we take for granted that
living you see we take for granted that
living you see we take for granted that when we go looking for a job it’s about
when we go looking for a job it’s about
when we go looking for a job it’s about making some money paying some bills and
making some money paying some bills and
making some money paying some bills and if we’re lucky we get to have a little
if we’re lucky we get to have a little
if we’re lucky we get to have a little fun but for so many members of our
fun but for so many members of our
fun but for so many members of our society marginalized because they cannot
society marginalized because they cannot
society marginalized because they cannot access work entrepreneurship can really
access work entrepreneurship can really
access work entrepreneurship can really be the gift that they need like my
be the gift that they need like my
be the gift that they need like my friend who lives in pain most days of
friend who lives in pain most days of
friend who lives in pain most days of her life because she has her good days
her life because she has her good days
her life because she has her good days and her bad days due to a debilitating
and her bad days due to a debilitating
and her bad days due to a debilitating disease for her it became impossible to
disease for her it became impossible to
disease for her it became impossible to get or to keep a job entrepreneurship
get or to keep a job entrepreneurship
get or to keep a job entrepreneurship became the life-saving gift that she
became the life-saving gift that she
became the life-saving gift that she found for herself but there are so many
found for herself but there are so many
found for herself but there are so many others that desperately need a solution
others that desperately need a solution
others that desperately need a solution like those pre-release offenders or
like those pre-release offenders or
like those pre-release offenders or ex-offenders that serve their sentences
ex-offenders that serve their sentences
ex-offenders that serve their sentences and come back into society and no one
and come back into society and no one
and come back into society and no one will give them a job
will give them a job
will give them a job like a young man I met years ago 20
like a young man I met years ago 20
like a young man I met years ago 20 years old he had gotten himself into
years old he had gotten himself into
years old he had gotten himself into some trouble had been incarcerated and
some trouble had been incarcerated and
some trouble had been incarcerated and was now on probation his probation
was now on probation his probation
was now on probation his probation officer was threatening to put him in
officer was threatening to put him in
officer was threatening to put him in jail if he didn’t find a job but when
jail if he didn’t find a job but when
jail if he didn’t find a job but when you have a felony it’s like a contagious
you have a felony it’s like a contagious
you have a felony it’s like a contagious disease no one will touch you
disease no one will touch you
disease no one will touch you no one will give you a job for this
no one will give you a job for this
no one will give you a job for this young man getting a job was all about
young man getting a job was all about
young man getting a job was all about life and death
life and death
life and death because what life would he lead if every
because what life would he lead if every
because what life would he lead if every time he turned around he violated
time he turned around he violated
time he turned around he violated probation was sent back to jail and
probation was sent back to jail and
probation was sent back to jail and accumulated more and more charges not
accumulated more and more charges not
accumulated more and more charges not because he had committed a crime but
because he had committed a crime but
because he had committed a crime but because he couldn’t get a job it’s so
because he couldn’t get a job it’s so
because he couldn’t get a job it’s so important that we are able to secure and
important that we are able to secure and
important that we are able to secure and earning for ourselves
earning for ourselves
earning for ourselves because it’s really about the life that
because it’s really about the life that
because it’s really about the life that we want to live that it is included in
we want to live that it is included in
we want to live that it is included in the Universal Declaration of Human
the Universal Declaration of Human
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the right to work and to
Rights the right to work and to
Rights the right to work and to protection from unemployment so why is
protection from unemployment so why is
protection from unemployment so why is self-employment not part of the everyday
self-employment not part of the everyday
self-employment not part of the everyday conversation of Workforce Development to
conversation of Workforce Development to
conversation of Workforce Development to help people get back into the
help people get back into the
help people get back into the communities and to be productive and to
communities and to be productive and to
communities and to be productive and to live life the way we all want to live
live life the way we all want to live
live life the way we all want to live our lives where we get to decide how we
our lives where we get to decide how we
our lives where we get to decide how we live it and the income that we need I
live it and the income that we need I
live it and the income that we need I have spent almost two decades working
have spent almost two decades working
have spent almost two decades working with some of these most marginalized
with some of these most marginalized
with some of these most marginalized members of our society the incarcerated
members of our society the incarcerated
members of our society the incarcerated the homeless persons with disabilities
the homeless persons with disabilities
the homeless persons with disabilities like my friend always pushing
like my friend always pushing
like my friend always pushing self-employment and entrepreneurship for
self-employment and entrepreneurship for
self-employment and entrepreneurship for them as an option and it’s interesting
them as an option and it’s interesting
them as an option and it’s interesting because when I say to someone so you
because when I say to someone so you
because when I say to someone so you can’t get a job because of your
can’t get a job because of your
can’t get a job because of your circumstances have you thought of
circumstances have you thought of
circumstances have you thought of entrepreneurship and they look at me
entrepreneurship and they look at me
entrepreneurship and they look at me like I’m nuts do you see where I’m
like I’m nuts do you see where I’m
like I’m nuts do you see where I’m living I’m living in a homeless shelter
living I’m living in a homeless shelter
living I’m living in a homeless shelter I’m broke I don’t have any money but see
I’m broke I don’t have any money but see
I’m broke I don’t have any money but see the problem with entrepreneurship is an
the problem with entrepreneurship is an
the problem with entrepreneurship is an option for this
option for this
option for this elation is that those of us that work in
elation is that those of us that work in
elation is that those of us that work in these industries that we do workforce
these industries that we do workforce
these industries that we do workforce development or we’re working with
development or we’re working with
development or we’re working with ex-offenders or whatever it may be maybe
ex-offenders or whatever it may be maybe
ex-offenders or whatever it may be maybe we even desire to be an entrepreneur and
we even desire to be an entrepreneur and
we even desire to be an entrepreneur and haven’t been able to do it for the same
haven’t been able to do it for the same
haven’t been able to do it for the same reason that I’ll share we believe that
reason that I’ll share we believe that
reason that I’ll share we believe that starting a business is difficult we have
starting a business is difficult we have
starting a business is difficult we have to write a complicated business plan and
to write a complicated business plan and
to write a complicated business plan and then we have to take it to a lending
then we have to take it to a lending
then we have to take it to a lending institution and borrow so we need lots
institution and borrow so we need lots
institution and borrow so we need lots of money
of money
of money oh and credit but the truth is that
oh and credit but the truth is that
oh and credit but the truth is that businesses can be started with little to
businesses can be started with little to
businesses can be started with little to no money
someone can start a business with one
someone can start a business with one shovel if we had time here today I would
shovel if we had time here today I would
shovel if we had time here today I would ask you to brainstorm with me on how
ask you to brainstorm with me on how
ask you to brainstorm with me on how many things could be started how many
many things could be started how many
many things could be started how many businesses could be done with one shovel
businesses could be done with one shovel
businesses could be done with one shovel computers even if someone doesn’t own a
computers even if someone doesn’t own a
computers even if someone doesn’t own a computer they may be able to access
computer they may be able to access
computer they may be able to access computers for free through friends
computers for free through friends
computers for free through friends libraries and other institutions
libraries and other institutions
libraries and other institutions the possibilities are endless but we
the possibilities are endless but we
the possibilities are endless but we have to believe that it’s possible for
have to believe that it’s possible for
have to believe that it’s possible for someone to do this to navigate the
someone to do this to navigate the
someone to do this to navigate the system if you say to me well you know
system if you say to me well you know
system if you say to me well you know Dannette it’s all well and good but not
Dannette it’s all well and good but not
Dannette it’s all well and good but not everyone is cut out to be an
everyone is cut out to be an
everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur I would agree with you
entrepreneur I would agree with you
entrepreneur I would agree with you they’re not but anyone that believes
they’re not but anyone that believes
they’re not but anyone that believes they can is willing to learn the trade
they can is willing to learn the trade
they can is willing to learn the trade and will take advice and mentoring to
and will take advice and mentoring to
and will take advice and mentoring to navigate the ups and downs of being in
navigate the ups and downs of being in
navigate the ups and downs of being in business for them entrepreneurship is
business for them entrepreneurship is
business for them entrepreneurship is possible and so we need to start looking
possible and so we need to start looking
possible and so we need to start looking at this in a way to bring people back
at this in a way to bring people back
at this in a way to bring people back into the workforce because even our
into the workforce because even our
into the workforce because even our college students that are graduating
college students that are graduating
college students that are graduating they think they’ve done everything right
they think they’ve done everything right
they think they’ve done everything right and many of them haven’t been able to
and many of them haven’t been able to
and many of them haven’t been able to get a job either
get a job either
get a job either that’s why they’re living at home with
that’s why they’re living at home with
that’s why they’re living at home with their parents because no one will give
their parents because no one will give
their parents because no one will give them a job because they don’t have
them a job because they don’t have
them a job because they don’t have experience because everyone out there
experience because everyone out there
experience because everyone out there has much more experience than they do so
has much more experience than they do so
has much more experience than they do so this isn’t a problem just for
this isn’t a problem just for
this isn’t a problem just for ex-offenders or persons with
ex-offenders or persons with
ex-offenders or persons with disabilities we are talking about anyone
disabilities we are talking about anyone
disabilities we are talking about anyone that no longer fits what we consider the
that no longer fits what we consider the
that no longer fits what we consider the traditional working world and I think
traditional working world and I think
traditional working world and I think we’ve dehumanized hiring a little bit
we’ve dehumanized hiring a little bit
we’ve dehumanized hiring a little bit because we’re no longer a person on an
because we’re no longer a person on an
because we’re no longer a person on an application we’re a number in an
application we’re a number in an
application we’re a number in an algorithm that is programmed to kick out
algorithm that is programmed to kick out
algorithm that is programmed to kick out applications at greater than 70 percent
applications at greater than 70 percent
applications at greater than 70 percent things like depression anxiety and
things like depression anxiety and
things like depression anxiety and suicide are consequences when people
suicide are consequences when people
suicide are consequences when people cannot get a job when they cannot
cannot get a job when they cannot
cannot get a job when they cannot support themselves or they will be
support themselves or they will be
support themselves or they will be destined to poverty and being dependent
destined to poverty and being dependent
destined to poverty and being dependent on government so all I ask is that if
on government so all I ask is that if
on government so all I ask is that if you can believe at least a little that
you can believe at least a little that
you can believe at least a little that entrepreneurship is possible for most
entrepreneurship is possible for most
entrepreneurship is possible for most and that starting a business as possible
and that starting a business as possible
and that starting a business as possible with little to no money that you will be
with little to no money that you will be
with little to no money that you will be the person that gives someone the gift
the person that gives someone the gift
the person that gives someone the gift of entrepreneurship because you don’t
of entrepreneurship because you don’t
of entrepreneurship because you don’t know if in that moment they’re out of
know if in that moment they’re out of
know if in that moment they’re out of place where the gift you are giving them
place where the gift you are giving them
place where the gift you are giving them which is the Gift of Hope could be the
which is the Gift of Hope could be the
which is the Gift of Hope could be the life-saving gift that they need today
life-saving gift that they need today
life-saving gift that they need today thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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