Resilience Education receives new donation from Oddball to continue its transformational work
Charlottesville, VA | Resilience Education has received a new donation from Oddball (an award-winning digital modernization company serving federal agencies) to advance its mission of providing high-quality business education and post-release support for system-impacted individuals.
This generous support will help Resilience continue to develop and grow the Resilient Professional Community (RPC). Led by a team of formerly incarcerated individuals, the online platform offers career resources, mentorship, and pathways to employment. In the past year, the community has increased both its membership to nearly 400 users and overall engagement, which includes those impacted by the system and allies who advocate for fair chances.
The funding will also bolster online programming, including the recently launched entrepreneurship course on the RPC. In this new 8-week course, instructors have been teaching a new version of Resilience Education’s entrepreneurship course to online students for the first time. Building on the existing curriculum for incarcerated learners, it explores in-depth case studies of businesses using the Socratic method and equips RPC members with essential skills to start and expand their own ventures.
“We understand the value in building strong connections and great mentorships when launching a startup,” said Travis Sorensen, co-founder of Oddball and Darden PREP alumni instructor from the Class of 2014. “Oddball is dedicated to developing new pathways and making sure the RPC’s next entrepreneurs are equipped with the strategic tools and support needed to succeed,” he added.
With Oddball’s investment, Resilience Education is positioned to deepen its reach, bringing business and financial education to justice-impacted individuals. Carrie Neal is an entrepreneur who enrolled in the new course to grow her woman-owned and Native-owned subcontracting business, which specializes in flooring for residential and commercial spaces:
"Being part of the Resilient Professional Community and course has been genuinely transformative. The support and guidance I’ve received have not only built my confidence but also helped me see new possibilities for myself as an entrepreneur. The course has pushed me to think more strategically and creatively about my business goals, and I feel empowered knowing I’m not doing it alone," she said.
Another course participant, Dale Morgan, felt he gained a broader understanding of the entrepreneurial process. “My perspective has truly shifted through the better understanding of practical applications, the valuable experience of learning from my mistakes, and the overall experiential learning approach of the course,” he said.
Resilience has been honored to receive support from Oddball for the last three years, which has amounted to $30,000. These repeat donations demonstrate their commitment to enhancing support systems that empower underserved communities to pursue economic mobility and create long-term success in the reentry process.
About Oddball:
Oddball is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) dedicated to digital modernization of federal services. As a unique digital agency, Oddball supports federal clients, from design to deployment, using scalable software solutions that are purpose-built for the citizens they serve and the workforces they enable. Experienced teams of full-stack developers, human-centered designers, product managers, and project managers offer a proven record of delivery excellence in enterprise DevOps, cloud migration, user experience, continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment. Visit www.oddball.io to learn more.
About Resilience Education:
Resilience Education is a non-profit organization focused on breaking the cycle of incarceration by improving the economic mobility of formerly incarcerated individuals through high-quality business education and post-release support. By partnering with correctional facilities, academic institutions, and private sector allies, Resilience Education empowers formerly incarcerated individuals to excel in the workforce. For more information, visit www.resilience-education.org.
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