WHO
WE ARE

Barred Business is a national membership-based organization that works to include, resource, educate and train both incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. We believe that by aiding justice-impacted people, we can build a world where all people have an opportunity to thrive. We encourage financial literacy, entrepreneurship, investing, home ownership and knowing the value of our spending power.

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Vision: We envision a world where justice impacted people can be respected as human beings and have the ability to earn, live, and grow without discrimination.

Our short term goal is to support our people in living great lives full of abundance and hope and safety - all of the things that the carceral system tries to take away from people.

Our long term goal is to transform the conditions in society that make our work necessary so that we are no longer needed.

We are a community whose purpose is to help each other and work together to build a sustainable future where we are all free.

Values:

Abolition - our purpose is freedom

Mutual aid - we help each other

Collaboration - we work together

Sustainability - we build for the future

Community - we are a part of something larger than ourselves

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Most of us can't vote, earn livable wages, find housing, secure loans, or adopt (and that's just the tip of the iceberg). We are a group of people that never get to truly be redeemed; therefore, we are left to be outliers, with low success rates. Barred Business is here to make sure that we get our seat at the table or create a new table.

Bridgette Simpson

Co-founder

Denise Ruben

Co-founder

Micah Herskind

Project Coordinator

Barred Business is a national membership-based organization that works to include, resource, educate and train both incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. We believe that by aiding justice-impacted people, we can build a world where all people have an opportunity to thrive. We encourage financial literacy, entrepreneurship, investing, home ownership and knowing the value of our spending power.

​

Vision: We envision a world where justice impacted people can be respected as human beings and have the ability to earn, live, and grow without discrimination.

Our short term goal is to support our people in living great lives full of abundance and hope and safety - all of the things that the carceral system tries to take away from people.

Our long term goal is to transform the conditions in society that make our work necessary so that we are no longer needed.

We are a community whose purpose is to help each other and work together to build a sustainable future where we are all free.

Values:

Abolition - our purpose is freedom

Stabilization- we stabilize through housing, training and mentorship

Mutual aid - we help each other

Collaboration - we work together

Sustainability - we build for the future

Community - we are a part of something larger than ourselves

​

Most of us can't vote, earn livable wages, find housing, secure loans, or adopt (and that's just the tip of the iceberg). We are a group of people that never get to truly be redeemed; therefore, we are left to be outliers, with low success rates. Barred Business is here to make sure that we get our seat at the table or create a new table.

TEAM MEMBERS.

Bridgette Simpson

Co-founder

BOARD 
MEMBERS.

Board Member & Relationship Management Solutions, Inc & Small Business Specialist 

Advisory Committee & Director of National Executive Council (NEC) at Center for Justice