Your past does not define your potential. Option C Foundation helps adults with criminal records rebuild through legitimate entrepreneurship. We focus on your future, not your past.
Background checks are barriers. Ban-the-box laws help, but they don't eliminate discrimination. Years later, records still gate opportunity.
Most employers run background checks. A conviction can disqualify you before they know anything about your qualifications, work ethic, or change. Ban-the-box helps, but many industries still require them.
Even without direct discrimination, employment gaps, inconsistent job history, and references that may hint at incarceration create invisible barriers that stack against you.
Many industries, licenses, and professional roles have conviction-related restrictions. Your options feel limited before you even apply.
When you own your business, the rules change fundamentally:
There's no background check to pass, no hiring manager to convince. You don't disclose your record unless you choose to. Your employment decisions are yours to make.
Customers judge you on quality, reliability, and service — not background. Your work ethic, professionalism, and results build your reputation. You prove yourself through action, not by passing a screening.
Most business models don't have legal restrictions based on convictions. You have access to the same entrepreneurship opportunities as anyone else. Your past is not a disqualifying factor.
We don't ask about your record. We evaluate fit, potential, and commitment. Here's what matters to us:
You want to build something real. Not a quick scheme. Not just looking for cash. You're serious about creating a legitimate business.
You're ready to invest time, energy, and effort. You understand that building a business takes planning, learning, and persistence.
You have reasonable expectations about timeline, income, and challenges. You're not expecting overnight success, but you have faith that you can build something.
You're building a legitimate, legal business. Not a hustle designed to skirt regulations. We support legal entrepreneurship only.
We only support 100% lawful businesses. We do not ask for or judge your specific offense. We evaluate fit, not background.
We don't run a background check to admit you to the program. We don't ask about your record unless you want to share context. Your past is your choice to disclose.
Your offense is not our business. What you're building now is. We focus on your potential, your skills, your ideas, and your commitment to a lawful path.
Your program participation is confidential. We don't share your information with employers, government agencies, or other third parties. Your business is yours to disclose as you see fit.
Here are real business models our participants and formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs have launched:
Low barrier to entry, high customer demand, cash flow, scalable. Start with residential customers, grow to commercial contracts.
Residential or commercial. Flexible schedule, flexible pricing. Can start part-time while working another job.
Home-based food business, meal prep, catering for events. Requires licensing but no conviction restrictions in most states.
High-margin service, mobile operation possible, repeat customers. Build by word-of-mouth.
Handyman services, plumbing, electrical work (apprenticeship paths). Trade certifications available; some have conviction restrictions and alternatives exist.
Virtual assistant, social media management, copywriting, graphic design. No physical presence required. Purely skill-based.
No. We don't screen for convictions. You won't be disqualified based on your record. We evaluate whether you're serious about building a legitimate business. That's it. Your past is not a reason to be excluded from our program.
No. You don't have to disclose it to customers unless you choose to. Your record is your business. What matters to customers is the quality of your work and reliability. Some entrepreneurs choose to be transparent about their past as part of their brand — that's entirely their choice.
Some industries have conviction-related restrictions (government contracts, certain financial licenses, some bonded work). We help you identify what businesses are actually available to you based on your specific situation. Many restrictions are more limited than people think. We help you navigate this.
We help you with business banking, business credit, and financing options. Many people have thin credit after incarceration. We show you how to build business credit from day one — separate from personal credit. There are financing options designed for entrepreneurs with damaged or no credit history.
That's fine. Many of our participants are on probation or parole. You'll work with your PO and let them know you're building a business. Many POs support this because legitimate self-employment is lower-risk than unemployment. We help you understand the reporting requirements and how entrepreneurship fits into your reentry plan.
Take the next step. See if you qualify for Option C Foundation's free business launch program.
See If You Qualify