• Check it out! We know Mateo Askaripour (@askmateo) as a stellar Defy volunteer. You may know him as the creator of the EIT interview series you’ve seen on Defy’s social media. And now we, along with the rest of the world, know him as a best-selling author! (If you didn’t before, you do now!) Join us on TUESDAY, MARCH 30, at 6:30pm ET/3:30p PT to listen and participate in an exclusive virtual conversation with Mateo about his best-selling novel, BLACK BUCK. “BLACK BUCK is a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.” Grab yourself a copy if you haven’t yet, and sign up here: bit.ly/blackbuckdefy (link in bio)! You don’t have to have read the book to attend, but we’re betting you’ll want to dive in after you meet Mateo. We’ll see you there!
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    Check it out! We know Mateo Askaripour (@askmateo) as a stellar Defy volunteer. You may know him as the creator of the EIT interview series you’ve seen on Defy’s social media. And now we, along with the rest of the world, know him as a best-selling author! (If you didn’t before, you do now!) Join us on TUESDAY, MARCH 30, at 6:30pm ET/3:30p PT to listen and participate in an exclusive virtual conversation with Mateo about his best-selling novel, BLACK BUCK. “BLACK BUCK is a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.” Grab yourself a copy if you haven’t yet, and sign up here: bit.ly/blackbuckdefy (link in bio)! You don’t have to have read the book to attend, but we’re betting you’ll want to dive in after you meet Mateo. We’ll see you there!
  • Defy stands with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, and mourns the loss of life in Atlanta today. Defy's work seeks to break down stigma and connect people through their shared humanity—regardless of who you are, where you've been, or what side of the line you stand on. Together we can dismantle racism and make our society one that works for and is safe for all. To do this, we all need to be willing to step up. #StopAAPIHate #stopasianhate
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    Defy stands with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, and mourns the loss of life in Atlanta today. Defy's work seeks to break down stigma and connect people through their shared humanity—regardless of who you are, where you've been, or what side of the line you stand on. Together we can dismantle racism and make our society one that works for and is safe for all. To do this, we all need to be willing to step up. #StopAAPIHate #stopasianhate
  • Defy is a community of hope, second chances, and meaningful connections. Many of the Defy Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) in this photo returned home in the past few months. While there are many challenges to overcome during reentry, Defy provides a place where EITs can support one another through those challenges and connect to others in the Defy network who can help. And we have fun! During Covid, the Defy team has found ways to gather and connect safely. Join us! #repost @quanxhuynh ・・・ If I told you everyone but 6 people in this picture are formerly incarcerated and have a combined 253 years behind bars, what would you think? That's almost 18 years per person, how and what could these people do to contribute to society? Quite a lot of loneliness, pain, sorrow, and regret, right? Although they are home, their futures must look bleak, as what could they have really learned in prison to contribute to their communities now? They are shunned in society. Does it make you feel saddened in any way? What if I told you when I look at this picture, I see something different? I see years of wisdom and transformation. I see years of self-reflection, growth, and personal development. I see hope, resiliency, and new beginnings. I see the human capacity to change. This picture was taken last weekend. We had a hike at Griffith Park for @defy_ventures graduates and volunteers. It was so fun! I saw for the first time men that I last saw in prison, and others that I have only been able to meet over Zoom, since they paroled during COVID and the pandemic. We talked, laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed each other's conversations. It felt good to give them hugs and say, Welcome home. I know there are some challenges in the road ahead for all of them. But I also believe giving them a community that has them feeling supported will only help them during this time. I feel blessed to be in this position to help some of them in a small way. If you want to get involved with our community in some way, please reach out! #defytheodds #homesweethome #hiking #ontopoftheworld #lifeafterlockup #lifeafterlife #livingourbestlives #sparrowintherazorwire
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    Defy is a community of hope, second chances, and meaningful connections. Many of the Defy Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) in this photo returned home in the past few months. While there are many challenges to overcome during reentry, Defy provides a place where EITs can support one another through those challenges and connect to others in the Defy network who can help. And we have fun! During Covid, the Defy team has found ways to gather and connect safely. Join us! #repost @quanxhuynh ・・・ If I told you everyone but 6 people in this picture are formerly incarcerated and have a combined 253 years behind bars, what would you think? That's almost 18 years per person, how and what could these people do to contribute to society? Quite a lot of loneliness, pain, sorrow, and regret, right? Although they are home, their futures must look bleak, as what could they have really learned in prison to contribute to their communities now? They are shunned in society. Does it make you feel saddened in any way? What if I told you when I look at this picture, I see something different? I see years of wisdom and transformation. I see years of self-reflection, growth, and personal development. I see hope, resiliency, and new beginnings. I see the human capacity to change. This picture was taken last weekend. We had a hike at Griffith Park for @defy_ventures graduates and volunteers. It was so fun! I saw for the first time men that I last saw in prison, and others that I have only been able to meet over Zoom, since they paroled during COVID and the pandemic. We talked, laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed each other's conversations. It felt good to give them hugs and say, "Welcome home." I know there are some challenges in the road ahead for all of them. But I also believe giving them a community that has them feeling supported will only help them during this time. I feel blessed to be in this position to help some of them in a small way. If you want to get involved with our community in some way, please reach out! #defytheodds #homesweethome #hiking #ontopoftheworld #lifeafterlockup #lifeafterlife #livingourbestlives #sparrowintherazorwire
  • Hats off to the incredible women Entrepreneurs in Training in Defy’s programs—on International Women’s Day and every day! 🎉 Currently and formerly incarcerated women face incredible odds. Only 4% of the world’s female population lives in the United States, but the U.S. accounts for over 30% of the world’s incarcerated women. Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population in the U.S., yet they are imprisoned in and controlled by systems designed for men. The majority of incarcerated women have faced some kind of abuse prior to their incarceration, many of them are mothers to young children, and BIPOC women are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates. Despite these odds, Defy women EITs have found hope and purpose while incarcerated, and once they’ve left prison, they’ve started businesses, secured great jobs, become public speakers, and reconnected with their families and communities. Defy women EITs, we are inspired by you!! ✨
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    Hats off to the incredible women Entrepreneurs in Training in Defy’s programs—on International Women’s Day and every day! 🎉 Currently and formerly incarcerated women face incredible odds. Only 4% of the world’s female population lives in the United States, but the U.S. accounts for over 30% of the world’s incarcerated women. Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population in the U.S., yet they are imprisoned in and controlled by systems designed for men. The majority of incarcerated women have faced some kind of abuse prior to their incarceration, many of them are mothers to young children, and BIPOC women are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates. Despite these odds, Defy women EITs have found hope and purpose while incarcerated, and once they’ve left prison, they’ve started businesses, secured great jobs, become public speakers, and reconnected with their families and communities. Defy women EITs, we are inspired by you!! ✨