Episode # 83

Truths About the US Prison System, with Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop - Part 1

Have you ever had someone who has been incarcerated over for dinner, to learn about their story? Or, if you knew that someone was in prison, does that frighten you enough to stay away?

Whatever you think about “law & order,” 95% of incarcerated people do leave prison and rejoin society. What is being done to help support them, instead of making it more difficult to succeed post-incarceration?

If any of these questions have intrigued you - at any level - we encourage you to take some time to listen to this special two-part series, where we interview someone who helps us answer all of these questions and more. Introducing Marcus Bullock, the CEO of Flikshop.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

“I had an amazing family that was praying for me, allowing me to be able to have a deep-rooted faith that allowed me to walk through every scenario with perspective. You see, having perspective is a magical thing. It’s better than having courage and hope, because it allowed me to see that my problems were not problems.” Marcus Bullock

What to listen for in Part 1:

The proper terminology to refer to someone who has spent time in prison
What does it feel like to stand in front of a judge, and end up going to adult maximum security prison as a 15-year-old boy?
The connections that kept Marcus going through eight years of incarceration, and which inspired the creation of his current company
His interactions with other prisoners, and the misconceptions people have of the motivation to get out and succeed
… and subscribe to the show to make sure you don’t miss Part Two, where we will talk about life after prison.

About Marcus Bullock:

Marcus Bullock is an entrepreneur, justice reform advocate, and TED speaker. Following his 2004 release from prison, he launched a construction business that grew to employ other returning citizens. Bullock is the Founder and CEO of Flikshop, Inc., a software company that builds tools to help incarcerated people stay connected to their families and build community. He also founded the Flikshop School of Business, a program that teaches returning citizens life skills and entrepreneurship via computer coding and software development.

Marcus is an inaugural cohort member of Techstars Anywhere 2018 and John Legend's Unlocked Futures business accelerators. He was selected as one of The Root's 2019 100 Most Influential African Americans in the U.S. He is also a member of the Justice Policy Institute's board of directors, Advisory Board member for Princeton University's Prison Teaching Initiative, and serves as an advisor to the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and Aspen Institute's Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund. Married with two children, Marcus' story has received coverage from Forbes, CNN, Washington Post, Black Enterprise, and NPR.

Venture: Flikshop is the tech platform that allows family members to connect easily with their incarcerated loved ones. The Flikshop app is famously known as the Instagram for prisons, allowing users the ability to send personalized pictures and messages delivered as postcards to any person in any cell in the US.

Website: http://ww.flikshop.com/

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