Option C Foundation was created to give adults facing serious employment barriers a different path — one built on entrepreneurship, structure, mentorship, and the belief that a difficult past does not define a person's future.
Option C Foundation exists to help adults who face barriers to traditional employment pursue economic independence through entrepreneurship. We believe that a disability, a prior conviction, or a difficult chapter of life should not permanently close every door.
We provide free business training, mentorship, planning support, and accountability to qualified participants who are serious about building a legitimate small business and a better future for themselves.
"Many people who apply to Option C haven't failed — they've just been failed by a system that didn't leave room for their circumstances. We're here to create another option."
— Kyle K. Peterson, Founder
Millions of adults in the United States face hiring barriers that have nothing to do with their potential, work ethic, or ability to build something of value. Option C was built to address this directly.
People with prior felony convictions often face automatic rejection in the hiring process — regardless of how much time has passed, the nature of the offense, or the growth that has happened since. For many, the legal system has been served, but employment opportunities remain locked.
Traditional employment often requires schedules, environments, and physical demands that aren't compatible with many disabilities or chronic health conditions. Self-employment can offer the flexibility to build a business around a person's actual strengths, schedule, and capacity.
People who have been out of the workforce for extended periods — due to illness, incarceration, caregiving, or other circumstances — often face an impossible cycle: they can't get a job without recent experience, and they can't get experience without a job.
Many people have a viable business idea, genuine motivation, and real potential — but no mentorship, no structure, and no access to resources or guidance. Without a framework, most ideas stay ideas. Option C exists to bridge that gap.
Option C doesn't offer generic business advice. Our program is designed specifically for people who face real barriers, and it's built to be practical, structured, and actionable.
Before anything else, we take time to understand each participant's background, strengths, limitations, and goals. The right business for one person may be completely wrong for another. We start there.
We only support legitimate small business ideas that are legal, practical, and aligned with the participant's actual situation. We do not support schemes, passive income promises, or MLM-style structures.
One of the biggest reasons small businesses fail early is the absence of structure and outside accountability. We build both into the program through regular check-ins, planning milestones, and mentorship.
The goal is not to create dependency on Option C — it's to help participants build the knowledge, tools, and confidence to operate their business independently over the long term.
Option C Foundation was founded by Kyle K. Peterson with a straightforward belief: people who face serious barriers to traditional employment deserve a real alternative — not platitudes, not generic advice, but a structured path toward something they can actually build and own.
Kyle built Option C to create the kind of support he wished existed for people who are motivated and capable but consistently overlooked by the traditional employment system. The foundation is focused on doing the work that actually matters: helping participants move from idea to action, and from action to a real, operating business.
The program is built on the principle that entrepreneurship, when supported with the right structure and accountability, can be a legitimate path to income and independence for people who have been told that their options are limited.
Option C Foundation operates as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Donations to the foundation are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Option C Foundation is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We operate in accordance with nonprofit governance, financial transparency, and public benefit requirements.
Contributions to Option C Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Donors should consult their tax advisor for guidance specific to their situation. We provide written acknowledgment of all qualifying donations.
All program activities are directed toward our nonprofit mission: helping adults facing employment barriers build legitimate small businesses through education, mentorship, and structured support.
A disability, a past conviction, or a period of unemployment does not define what a person is capable of building. We evaluate potential, not just background.
We don't overpromise. Entrepreneurship is hard. We're clear about what the program is, what it is not, and what participants will need to do to make it work.
Building something of your own — even something small — creates a different relationship with work, income, and self-worth. That matters beyond just the money.
Most people don't fail because they lack ideas. They fail without structure, without accountability, and without someone in their corner. We provide all three.
We will only ever support lawful small business models. Our program does not accept or support participants pursuing illegal activity of any kind — full stop.
We measure success not by how long participants stay in the program, but by how equipped they are to operate independently when they leave it.
If you work with adults who face employment barriers — through reentry programs, disability services, workforce development, social work, or other support services — Option C may be able to serve the people you work with.
We welcome referral relationships with organizations that are aligned with our mission. If you believe someone in your network may be a candidate for the program, you're welcome to share our interest form with them or contact us directly to learn more about how we work with referral partners.
If traditional employment has not worked for you, Option C may be able to help you build another path through entrepreneurship. Apply to see if you qualify — there's no cost and no commitment.