Podcasts about flikshop

Marcus Bullock is the CEO of Flikshop, an innovative mobile app that allows easier communication between families and incarcerated loved ones. To help build reentry ecosystems through entrepreneurship, coding, and mobile app development, he created the Flikshop School of Business. Marcus' background extends to sales, contracting, teaching, and sitting on the Board of Directors for the Justice Policy Institute (JPI), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to developing policies and solutions within the criminal justice system. In 2019, he was honored as one of the Root 100 Most Influential African Americans. In this episode… The hard reality of both life and entrepreneurship can be circumstances. Much of what defines our success comes from factors outside of our control. However, bad decisions and poor judgment can exacerbate the situation. In the face of adversity, how can you create opportunities that impact the lives of others? Despite unfavorable odds and big mistakes, Marcus Bullock turned his life around. Now a successful tech entrepreneur and activist, he positively influences other people's lives. His story is the cornerstone of his brand and drives him to help others through difficult times by sharing his hard-won lessons and guiding others through their trials and tribulations. After living through the results of the bad decisions he made at an early age, Marcus was inspired to develop an app that helps families connect with their incarcerated loved ones. In this episode of Next Wave Leadership, Dov Pollack sits down with Marcus Bullock, the CEO of Flikshop, to discuss his story and his journey to entrepreneurship. They go through his circumstances, what helped him through, and the inspiration that led to his business. He also discusses his business school and how he helps other budding entrepreneurs.

Our justice system is broken: The U.S. incarcerates more people than any country in the world, in part because other countries do not use prison as a one-size-fits-all solution to crime. This Black History Month, Breaking the Bias will be highlighting the change agents who are building career paths for the formerly incarcerated, or who are creating alternatives to incarceration, as the U.S. incarcerates Black people at a nearly five times higher rate than white people. In this conversation, Consciously Unbiased founder Ashish Kaushal sat down with entrepreneur and CEO of Flikshop, Marcus Bullock, and his mother, Reverend Dr. Sylvia Bullock. They share how Marcus' personal story of being incarcerated at just 15 years old in an adult prison reflects larger systemic issues related to our justice system, and how daily letters sent to him by his mother paved the way for him to launch Flikshop, an app that connects family members to their incarcerated loved ones. *You can donate to the Flikshop Angels program here: https://www.flikshop.com/flikshop-angels --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/consciously-unbiased/message

For the month of February, we are publishing flashback clips from some of our wonderful past episodes. Please a take some time enjoy (again) the full episodes from these founders.Season 4 of Founders Unfound starts in March!Marcus Bullock is Founder and CEO of Flikshop, a company which helps families stay connected to their incarcerated loved ones.Original Episode: No.12, May 2020https://foundersunfound.com/flikshop-founder-profile-podcast/MORE ON MARCUS AND FLIKSHOPMARCUS:twitter.com/_marcus_bullockMarcus TED talkFLIKSHOP:flikshop.comtwitter.com/flikshoplinkedin.com/in/flikshop/Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow!#blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #bhm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During this episode, Russell St. Bernard speaks with Marcus Bullock, CEO, and Founder of Flikshop about his pivot from prison to a tech startup. They also discuss growing your business, fatherhood, trusting God, and more. Listen to the conversation, download the resources, subscribe plus comment, and discuss it with your team and staff. https://ministrypivot.com/conversations/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ministrypivot/message

In episode 24, the "Our Voice'' podcast welcomes back Marcus Bullock – founder and CEO of the tech start-up Flikshop. Shot in front of a live audience, on location in Orlando, Florida, during FRRC's 10th Anniversary Convening celebration, hosts Desmond Meade and Neil Volz get Marcus to share his frightening, gut-wrenching, and ultimately transformative journey. Listen as he describes growing from a young teen who was direct-filed and sentenced to a maximum security adult prison to becoming a father and successful entrepreneur in the tech sector. The development of the Flikshop mobile app enables families and non-profit organizations to send personalized postcards to any person in any cell in the US, with the mission of using social connections to decrease recidivism. By leveraging technology to keep loved ones connected, Flikshop – the “Instagram for the currently incarcerated” – is a tool that will grant hundreds of thousands of people the permission to dream and the power to transform.

At 15 years old, Marcus Bullock's life changed forever. He was locked in an adult maximum-security prison for 8 years after carjacking a man. Marcus began to feel hopeless, so his mother began to send photos and letters each day.A few years after his release, his friends in prison asked Marcus for photos and letters of his travels and life. Marcus knew there had to be a better way to share his experiences outside the prison walls, and when he didn't find an app to do it, he created it himself.“I was promising them: I want you to live vicariously through me now. I want you to see these moments and share with me because I want you to know when you get out of prison, bro, you will have the same success,” he said.Listen as Marcus shares his success after being released, starting with the company that gave him a chance, his entrepreneurial spirit, and the opportunity to hire those with felony convictions to give them a sustainable start.Also, don't miss David and Marcus discussing how Flikshop went from sharing photos with prison friends to a venture-backed company that helps reduce recidivism.Follow Marcus Bullock on Twitter @_marcus_bullockFollow David Cohen on Twitter @davidcohenListen & subscribe to the Give First podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

4.20.22 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: GA Online personality accused of Doxing, DOJ investigates Miss. Prison, Mich. Overtaxing, Flikshop An Atlanta social media cook is accused of blasting out personal information of people who questioned or disagreed with him. Putting out someone's personal information for intimidation or harassing purposes is called "Doxing."  In the RMU studio, one woman who was in court yesterday defending herself from stalking allegations by Darius "Cooks" Williams, who she says has been doxing her.  We'll also have an expert to give us tips on keeping our information safe. The Justice Department says the conditions at a Mississippi State Penitentiary violate the Constitution.  We'll show you some of the conditions of the prison. The arrest of a young black boy accused of stealing a bag of chips by Syracuse police is causing outrage and debate about how cops should treat children. Nearly 100,000 Detroiters lost their home to foreclosures because the city illegally overtaxed homeowners $600M. We'll talk to one woman who lost her home because of this and a member of the Coalition for Property Tax Justice who is working on getting those homeowners their money. It's taken two years, but A Connecticut state trooper faces manslaughter for killing a man after a high-speed chase. And in today's Tech Talk segment, a former inmate created an app to bring a little love to others in prison. Support #RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfiltered Venmo ☛https://venmo.com/rmunfiltered Zelle ☛ roland@rolandsmartin.com Annual or monthly recurring #BringTheFunk Fan Club membership via paypal ☛ https://rolandsmartin.com/rmu-paypal/ Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox

3.23.2022 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Day 3 SCOTUS Confirmation Hearing, NJ Cops Paralyzed Black Man, HU Avoids Strike, Flikshop We're LIVE from Brooklyn, New York, at 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, where Spike Lee is debuting the documentary on Colin Kaepernick. We'll have more on that later in the show. Today, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is back in the hot seat answering questions and accusations from Senators during the third day of her confirmation hearing. Senator Lindsey Graham was at it again today. He was called out by not only the chairman of the senate judiciary committee but by Sen. Patrick Leahy from Vermont. We have a packed legal panel to discuss the day's testimony. He was going to his car when he got surrounded by plainclothed New Jersey police officers.   They thought he was reaching for a weapon. He was reaching for some tea. Now he's paralyzed from the neck down. Jajuan Henderson's attorney will update us on the case and let us know why he's still facing charges. Howard University administration and non-tenured faculty reach an agreement to avoid a three-day strike. A Washington state family is getting a 4 million dollar settlement for the police-involved death of their loved one. Two brothers wrongfully convicted of murder 25 years ago have been released and may get $50-thousand for each year they spent behind bars. And in our Tech Talk segment, a former inmate created an app to bring a little love to others in prison   #RolandMartinUnfiltered partner: Nissan | Check out the ALL NEW 2022 Nissan Frontier! As Efficient As It Is Powerful!

On this episode, we're talking about America's high rate of recidivism – with nearly 80% of those incarcerated returning to prison after five years – and what can be done to reduce this figure. First, we hear from Marcus Bullock, the founder and CEO of tech company Flikshop, about the obstacles he faced when transitioning back into society after serving an eight-year prison sentence. Marcus applied for 41 jobs before finally finding employment as a paint mixer, opening the door for him to eventually start his own businesses and find ways to help other formerly incarcerated individuals with their reentry journey. Then, host Carla Harris sits down with Marcus Glover, Managing Partner of VC firm Lockstep Ventures, to discuss the real opportunity in breaking down barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals. Marcus outlines the mechanisms in place that lead to reoffending and offers ways that the VC community can leverage its investments to help stem the cycle of recidivism. https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity Disclaimer textThe guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast. This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.© 2021 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

In episode 10, the "Our Voice" podcast welcomes Marcus Bullock, a returning citizen (formerly convicted person) who has gone on to become the founder & CEO of the tech start-up Flikshop. The Flikshop mobile app enables families and non-profit organizations to send personalized postcards to any person in any cell in the US, with the mission of using social connections to decrease recidivism. Hosts Desmond Meade and Neil Volz take a deep dive into Marcus' journey - from being directly filed into adult prison as a young teen to creating a brilliantly simple software as a service company and returning citizen business school that is reshaping criminal justice reform in the U.S.

In episode 10, the "Our Voice" podcast welcomes Marcus Bullock, a returning citizen (formerly convicted person) who has gone on to become the founder & CEO of the tech start-up Flikshop. The Flikshop mobile app enables families and non-profit organizations to send personalized postcards to any person in any cell in the US, with the mission of using social connections to decrease recidivism. Hosts Desmond Meade and Neil Volz take a deep dive into Marcus' journey - from being directly filed into adult prison as a young teen to creating a brilliantly simple software as a service company and returning citizen business school that is reshaping criminal justice reform in the U.S.

Today we discover the story of Marcus Bullock: TED speaker, entrepreneur, justice reform advocate, and founder of Flikshop, a software company aimed towards helping incarcerated people connect with their families and the outside world. Growing up in Washington DC with his mother and sister, Marcus is no stranger to the shortage of resources and social capital surrounding many neighborhoods today. His early life was encapsulated by the pursuit of a single dream: the outer appearance of success. Having the means to buy a car and nice shoes was Marcus' early vision of what success looked like, and he tried to achieve that vision through selling drugs and stealing cars. But luxury cars and nice shoes came with ramifications that Marcus didn't expect. At 15, Marcus was arrested for carjacking and sent to prison. After two years of denial, Marcus began to imagine ending his days surrounded by cinder block walls and metal gates, until his mother's letters ended up saving his life. Once released after an 8 year sentence, Marcus embarked on an entrepreneurial journey filled with connection, empathy, and the breaking of barriers far tougher than a prison's walls. Links From the Episode Flikshop: https://www.flikshop.com Marcus' Website: https://www.marcusbullock.net TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/marcus_bullock_an_app_that_helps_incarcerated_people_stay_connected_to_their_families Discrimination Against Formerly Incarcerated People - Greg Lorentzen: https://www.livingwage-sf.org/mass-incarceration/discrimination-against-formerly-incarcerated-people/ Why Are Jail Phone Calls So Expensive? - Tyler Kendall, 10/13/2020: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-are-jail-phone-calls-so-expensive/ Why We Must Rethink Solitary Confinement - Barack Obama, 01/25/2016: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/barack-obama-why-we-must-rethink-solitary-confinement/2016/01/25/29a361f2-c384-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

Join us as we hear the story and heart behind Marcus' work and how he has used innovation in a way that connects families back to their loved ones incarcerated.

In the latest episode of CBJ podcast, “Diversity Straight Up,” hosts Sarika Bhakta and Anthony Arrington talk with Marcus Bullock, co-founder and CEO of Flikshop, an app and website to keep families connected with loved ones in prison, about being your authentic self, resiliency and justice reform. Diversity Straight Up is brought to you by GreenState Credit Union and sponsored by Alliant Energy. Additional support is provided by Collins Aerospace and the city of Cedar Rapids.

In this episode of Tech Done Different, we sit down with one of the most inspiring guests yet. Marcus Bullock shares his journey from incarceration to tech entrepreneur, showing us all why and how to be grateful for the lives we get to live every day, and how to apply that gratitude to overcome our many difficultiesYou'll learn:why gratitude helps you break through barriers and rejection (whether that's not getting a promotion, funding, or contract)how technology can be the pathway to successhow tech connects us, and when it's severed, it can lead to depressionwhy "we are all either media companies or data companies"how to think about resilience: treat rejection with gratitude, because "it prepares you for the pending success that is just around the corner"why "the gold comes from opportunity, dreams, and building executable systems"how to think about the systems you're building and how to repurpose them for future ventureswhy teaching is an expression of gratitudehow "the teacher learns the most" and why "if you're not teaching, you're dying"why to change the dinner table conversationGuestMarcus Bullock, CEO at FlikShop (@flikshop on Twitter)HostTed HarringtonLearn more about Marcus Bullock at https://www.marcusbullock.net/This Episode's SponsorsIf you'd like to sponsor this or any other podcast episode on ITSPmagazine, you can learn more here: https://www.itspmagazine.com/podcast-series-sponsorshipsFor more podcast stories from Tech Done Different With Ted Harrington: https://www.itspmagazine.com/tech-done-different-podcastAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?https://www.itspmagazine.com/podcast-series-sponsorshipsLearn more about Ted and his book at https://hackablebook.com

In this episode of Tech Done Different, we sit down with one of the most inspiring guests yet. Marcus Bullock shares his journey from incarceration to tech entrepreneur, showing us all why and how to be grateful for the lives we get to live every day, and how to apply that gratitude to overcome our many difficultiesYou'll learn:why gratitude helps you break through barriers and rejection (whether that's not getting a promotion, funding, or contract)how technology can be the pathway to successhow tech connects us, and when it's severed, it can lead to depressionwhy "we are all either media companies or data companies"how to think about resilience: treat rejection with gratitude, because "it prepares you for the pending success that is just around the corner"why "the gold comes from opportunity, dreams, and building executable systems"how to think about the systems you're building and how to repurpose them for future ventureswhy teaching is an expression of gratitudehow "the teacher learns the most" and why "if you're not teaching, you're dying"why to change the dinner table conversationGuestMarcus Bullock, CEO at FlikShop (@flikshop on Twitter)HostTed HarringtonLearn more about Marcus Bullock at https://www.marcusbullock.net/This Episode's SponsorsIf you'd like to sponsor this or any other podcast episode on ITSPmagazine, you can learn more here: https://www.itspmagazine.com/podcast-series-sponsorshipsFor more podcast stories from Tech Done Different With Ted Harrington: https://www.itspmagazine.com/tech-done-different-podcastAre you interested in sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?https://www.itspmagazine.com/podcast-series-sponsorshipsLearn more about Ted and his book at https://hackablebook.com

In this interview, I spoke with Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop. Flikshop allows you to send photos delivered as postcards to any person in any prison instantly. It enables you to stay connected with your incarcerated loved one with no subscriptions and no hidden fees.This is an incredible story and journey that Marcus has been on. After spending eight years in prison, Marcus got out, started a painting company (that was wildly successful), and then found his calling helping families stay connected when a loved one is incarcerated via Flikshop.This is a highly personal story, and Marcus was an absolute pleasure to have on the show.Learn more about Marcus and Flikshop at https://www.flikshop.comSupport the show (https://bit.ly/growth101-kaj1)

Season 9 of Rocketship.fm featured a lot of great stories, however, two stood out to us and we wanted to put together a follow up to find out what has happened since we first aired. Earth Class Mail, the early 2000’s startup that was featured on it’s own reality TV show, staring Ron Weiner which has now been twice sold, has now found a new home and clear direction. We hear from Casey Shaeffer about what has been happening at the company since 2017. Plus, we sit down with Marcus Bullock of Flikshop, the founder who went to prison for eight years as a minor and now runs a successful company making it easier for families and loved ones to stay in touch with inmates.  If you missed the original stories, make sure to check out the full episodes on Earth Class Mail and Flikshop. Brought to you by: Gusto, making payroll, benefits, and HR easy for modern small businesses. Rocketship listeners get three months free at gusto.com/rocketship. Metalab who since 2006, has helped some of the world’s top companies - like Uber and Google - design, build, and ship amazing products and services. Wondery, the creators of the Business Wars podcast. Sometimes the prize is your wallet or your attention. Sometimes, it’s just the fun of beating the other guy. The outcome of these battles shapes what we buy and how we live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you know about communicating with an incarcerated loved one? For millions of Americans, this problem is all too familiar. And it's a problem our guest on the podcast today experienced firsthand. Marcus Bullock is the CEO and Founder of Flikshop, a company that helps people communicate and maintain connections with their incarcerated friends and family members. Marcus shares his personal journey from being incarcerated at the age of 15 to founding a company that has grown to serve people at over 2500 prisons nationwide. He offers his advice to founders on everything from building a network to raising capital to executing on your vision. It's the kind of story you don't often hear in the world of tech, and one we hope you enjoy. FlikShop has been featured in the Washington Post, Forbes, CNN, NPR, and dozens of other national media outlets. Marcus has given TED Talks, he was selected as one of The Roots' 2019 100 Most Influential African Americans in the US, he is a member of the Justice Policy Institute's Board of Directors, Advisory Board Member of Princeton University's Prison Teaching Initiative, and is an Advisor to the Aspen Institute's Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund. You can check out the important work Marcus and his team are doing at Flikshop.com and you can follow them on Twitter and on Instagram @flikshop.

The United States Department of Justice reports that over 650,000 people are released from prison every year. Unfortunately, studies show that approximately two-thirds of those released will likely be rearrested within three years. The Workforce Wire podcast series, “Walking in My Shoes”, features returning citizens who have successfully transitioned from incarceration and identify, in their words, why they were successful, why many are not successful, and what can be done to decrease the recidivism rates of returning citizens. Part 3 features entrepreneur & justice reform advocate, Marcus Bullock. Following his 2004 release from prison, Marcus Bullock launched a construction business that grew to employ other returning citizens. Bullock is also the Founder & CEO of Flikshop, Inc., a software company that builds tools to help incarcerated people stay connected to their families and build community. He is also a member of the Justice Policy Institute's Board of Directors and serves as an advisor to the Aspen Institute’s Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund.

In Episode 83, we met and heard the story of Marcus Bullock, who is currently a CEO, and a formerly incarcerated individual. The first part of the conversation painted the picture of his time entering and spent in prison - something we bet most of you hadn’t heard firsthand about before. But here’s the thing. 95% of incarcerated individuals DO make it out of prison, so how is the American system setting people up for success - or for failure, as the case may be? These are citizens we’re talking about, even though some of their basic rights are stripped away from them as a result of their time in prison. But these missing rights along with the stigma and societal setup make it very, very difficult to ever fully re-integrate into society. Should we really all be defined by our worst mistake, forever? Listen in to the conclusion of our two-part interview with Marcus Bullock to hear more truths about the US prison system - and so much more. Questions? Comments? Contact us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com What to listen for in Part Two: The medical care within prison, and how our society’s linkage of medical insurance to jobs inherently prevents returning citizens from getting the care they need What it takes to get a job, when so many people ask you if you’ve been convicted of a felony in the last few years The work that Flikshop is doing to restore connection and hope to those who are in prison The humanity that continues to link us together, regardless of what bad decisions we’ve made 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://www.flikshop.com/ Like what you hear? Support us through Patreon! Don’t miss another episode and subscribe to the podcast! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – and don’t miss our new anti-racism action calendar by joining our email list.  

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.   What to listen for in Part One: 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/

Return guest, Marcus Bullock of Flikshop, in state prison starting at age 15, has a great story. He doesn't make any bones about it, he enjoys what he does. Flikshop connects those incarcerated with their family through a myriad of social media. As he says, "My Tik Tok is talkin'". His company helps share the joy and fun a family is having with their incarcerated loved one by taking photos or stills from video, then printing them on a postcard and sending them. To any person, any prison, anywhere in the country. Phone calls cost a lot, so do pads and laptops. The Flikshop postcards are very affordable to allow more families to connect with their incarcerated. Marcus knows that getting mail is the highlight of the day in prison, and human interaction of a postcard is only surpassed by the in-person visit. And that isn't even happening in this COVID environment. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dick Hennessy and Meg Thibodeaux We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

Marcus Bullock is back! Adam Martin and Ricky Pallay are proud to kick off the new season of the podcast with our new podcast, Redtape Reform. Still focusing on criminal justice reform, but analyzing the system from a different perspective, but still leaving you with a lot to think about after each show. Marcus Bullock is the CEO of Flikshop and has a blue check next to his name, which Adam still gets jealous of. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

By Richard Hunt An app created by a former prisoner is bringing encouragement and hope to those behind bars. And Prison Fellowship is partnering to help more families get ahold of this life-changing technology. Hear our insightful interview with PF’s Heather Rice-Minus.

By Richard Hunt An app created by a former prisoner is bringing encouragement and hope to those behind bars. And Prison Fellowship is partnering to help more families get ahold of this life-changing technology. Hear our insightful interview with PF’s Heather Rice-Minus.

From Maximum Security Prison To CEO, Marcus Bullock, is now building Flikshop as a way for incarcerated individuals to stay connected to their families and loved ones. He knows first hand the impact a picture from the outside can make on those incarcerated. But this story is as much about our criminal justice system as it is about Marcus's journey. This episode is brought to you by: SIEMENS is running a new, free webinar on July 29th at 2 pm ET called Building a sound, digital foundation for hardware startups. You can register here. Digital Ocean is a cloud provider that makes it easy for entrepreneurs and startups to deploy and scale web applications with no issues and unplanned costs. Get started for free at do.co/rocketship. Earth Class Mail scans and digitizes you physical mail and makes it available to you on mobile or desktop or even Google Drive or Dropbox. Rocketship listeners get 25% off their subscription for the first 3 months by going to earthclassmail.com/rocketship. Rocketship is brought to you by The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I sit down with Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop. Flikshop is an app you download on your phone, in order to send postcards to your incarcerated loved one. Marcus has a powerful story of becoming incarcerated at a young age. He loves to tell the story of how impactful it was for him to receive letters from his mother while he was incarcerated. He says that her letters kept him connected and gave him hope. Now he is on a mission to give that same hope he felt through his mother's letters to all incarcerated persons! Marcus is a reowned figure in the Criminal Justice Reform, Reentry and Tech spaces and is making his mark! Marcus has given multiple TEDx talks, one of which, his TED Salon: The Mallacan TEDx talk has well over 1 million views. He also has partnered with national organizations such as Prison Fellowship to offer thousands of people free credits to stay in contact with their incarcerated loved ones. We go in depth into his personal story and get insights from Marcus on his life as a master entrepreneur, justice reform advocate, son, father, husband and master storyteller and pitch king!

Check out Marcus TEDx Talk on the Flikshop App here.We also invite you to check out the Flikshop website and consider becoming a Flikshop Angel herePlease listen, subscribe, and rate/review our Podcast in iTunes (if you open it up on Apple Podcasts, go to the itunes page to leave us a review), Spotify, and on Google Play.Visit our website: www.oneinfourpodcast.comSend tips, comments and questions to: podcastoneinfour@gmail.comFollow us on Twitter: @oneinfourpodca1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneinfourpodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oneinfourpodcast

Hear Marcus Bullock's inspiring story of going from spending eight years in prison starting at the age of 15 to becoming a successful entreperneur as CEO of Flikshop https://www.flikshop.com/. https://www.linkedin.com/in/flikshop/ http://hightechprayerbreakfast.org/

OUR SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE: The Plug(get $10 off annual subscription to TPInsights with code "unfound")Marcus and Dan discussed:The big mistake that cost him eight years of his lifeMarcus' incarceration journey from denial to despair to survival How the cards are stacked against re-entering citizens when they leave prisonHow Marcus responded to the startup call, not once but twice!Why Flikshop is more than just a postcard - it's a lifeline of hopeHaving the triple hurdle: black founder, with a criminal record, and no formal educationEpisode Shout Outs:John Legend Unlocked FuturesMarcus Bullock is as rare as they come. A master motivator, charismatic leader, and passionate change-maker. A founder and CEO of TWO companies. All of that is impressive, but not necessarily unique. What makes him the exception to the exception? He's accomplished what he has despite spending his young formative years in adult, maximum-security prison. What got Marcus through his prison time?It was a piece of mail from his mom EVERY SINGLE day until the day he was released. A letter, note, or seemingly random picture could create hope and positivity, which in turn fueled the will to persevere and thrive. Marcus has now turned his experience into a company: Flikshop. Friends, loved ones, as well as attorneys and other allies, can use Flikshop to send caring sentiments and images, or informational critical for the re-entry process. Listen in to hear more!MORE on MARCUS and FLIKSHOPMARCUS:twitter.com/_marcus_bullock Marcus TED talkFLIKSHOP:flikshop.comtwitter.com/flikshoplinkedin.com/in/flikshop/Follow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!PODCAST TRANSCRIPT See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Follow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!Marcus Bullock is founder and CEO of Flikshop, a company that helps families stay connected to their incarcerated loved ones. Marcus has a powerful and authentic personal journey, which has directly resulted in the Flikshop success story. You don't want to miss it!FULL EPISODE drops May 14th! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marcus Bullock sat down with Dirk Van Velzen of the Prison Scholar Fund to discuss his journey to build Flikshop, a mobile app that helps families and organizations send notifications to incarcerated residents via postcards. We discuss the entrepreneurial path, his failures along way, and how he is helping to create success stories for other returning citizens. Bullock believes that we can prevent recidivism if we help keep love, positive affirmations, and notifications about resources that most people do not have access to while they’re in prison. How are we going to create successful reentry plans after release? “Scalable tech”, Bullock says. https://youtu.be/uZjwpZ2HY-E  

Marcus Bullock is Founder and CEO of Flikshop. Marcus radiates optimism and a sense of purpose that is reflected in the Flikshop mission, to keep families and communities connected and to ultimately reduce recidivism.    After being convicted of carjacking when he was 15 years old, Marcus spent the next 8 years of his life in a maximum security prison. During that time, Marcus says that getting a flik, or a picture, was like winning the lottery. While incarcerated, Marcus educated himself and planned for a productive future, thanks to the persistence of his mother, his extended family, and friends.   After his release, Marcus created a construction company that employed returning citizens. He then launched Flikshop, an app that allows individuals to send a note and a picture to anyone at any prison in the United States. Marcus and his colleagues then created The Flikshop School of Business to help give men and women who are incarcerated a blueprint for success.   Marcus was named to The Root’s Top 100 most influential African Americans for 2019. He is an inaugural cohort member of Techstars Anywhere 2018 and John Legend’s Unlocked Futures business accelerators. He is a member of the Justice Policy Institute's board of directors and serves as an advisor to the Aspen Institute’s Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund.   Check out Flikshop and download the app.   Help keep a child and an incarcerated parent connected by becoming a Flikshop Angel.   For investment inquiries, connect with Marcus on LinkedIn.   More from Marcus:   2019 TED Talk   White House Talk 2019   Ever Better Podcast, July 2016    =====   This podcast originated as a video that you can find on the Founders and Startups YouTube Channel along with two highlight videos: “Creating Flikshop’s Minimum Viable Product” and “Focus on What Gives You Energy.”   ====== Special Thanks To:  Josh at Podcastguymedia.com for his patient editing and guidance. Darko at darkokriznik.com for his stellar video editing and graphic design.    ====== Learn about working with me, Lisa Conners Vogt, at EverBetterU.com.  Here's what a recent client said after a coaching session: "Lisa offers a holistic approach to coaching business owners. Her unique approach allowed me to articulate goals involving my family, employees, community, customers and myself. She draws out the entire spectrum of the entrepreneur's objectives and brings them into a manageable and livable perspective."

８年の懲役を言い渡されたマーカス・ブロックは母親の愛、そして日々送られてくる刑務所の外の暮らしにまつわる母からの手紙と写真の数々に救われていました。それから何年も経った後、実業家となったブロックは自身に問いました。どうしたら服役中の人たちとその家族が手軽に連絡をとり合えるようにできるだろうか？　その答えがFlikShopです。彼が開発したこのアプリは、家族からのポストカードをいち早く刑務所内にいる愛する人へ届け、大切な支えを閉ざさないようにしてくれます。

Durante sua pena de oito anos de prisão, Marcus Bullock teve como apoio o amor de sua mãe e as cartas e fotos diárias que ela enviava da vida do lado de fora. Anos mais tarde, como empreendedor, Bullock se perguntou: "Como posso tornar mais fácil para todas as famílias permanecerem unidas durante o encarceramento?" Entre no FlikShop, um aplicativo desenvolvido por ele que permite que as famílias enviem cartões postais rápidos para entes queridos na prisão e ajuda a manter aberto um canal muito importante de apoio.

Au cours de sa peine de huit ans de prison, Marcus Bullock a été soutenu par l'amour de sa mère et par les lettres et photos quotidiennes qu'elle lui envoyait de la vie à l'extérieur. Des années plus tard, en tant qu'entrepreneur, il s'est demandé : comment puis-je faciliter le maintien de ce lien entre les détenus et leur famille ? Découvrez Flikshop, une appli qu'il a développée et qui permet aux familles d'envoyer rapidement des cartes postales à leurs proches en prison et les aide à entretenir une ligne de soutien cruciale.

Durante su condena de ocho años de prisión, Marcus Bullock fue sostenido por el amor de su madre, y por las cartas diarias y las fotos que envió de la vida en el exterior. Años más tarde, como empresario, Bullock se preguntó: ¿cómo puedo facilitar que todas las familias se mantengan conectadas durante el encarcelamiento? Ingrese a FlikShop: una aplicación que desarrolló que permite a las familias enviar postales rápidas a sus seres queridos en prisión y ayudar a mantener abierta una línea crítica de apoyo.

Маркус Баллок провёл в заключении восемь долгих лет. Все эти годы мать поддерживала его и ежедневно присылала ему письма и фотографии об обычной жизни за пределами тюрьмы. Спустя годы, будучи предпринимателем, Баллок задался вопросом: «Как я могу помочь заключённым и их семьям оставаться на связи в такой тяжёлый для них период жизни?» Он разработал FlikShop — приложение, которое позволяет семьям быстро отправлять открытки близким в тюрьму и помогает заключённым получать такую важную для них поддержку.

Marcus Bullock is an entrepreneur, justice reform advocate, and public speaker. Following his 2004 release from prison, he launched a construction business that grew to employ over 18 employees. Bullock is also founder and CEO of Flikshop, a free app that enables incarcerated people to receive personalized postcards from their families, building community and decreasing recidivism. 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 is also a member of the Justice Policy Institute’s board of directors and serves as an advisor to the Aspen Institute’s Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund. Married with two children, Marcus’ story has received coverage from Forbes, CNN, The Washington Post, and NPR. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This KweliCONVERSATION is with Marcus Bullock, founder of Flikshop, a mobile app that allows families to stay connected to incarcerated loved ones.

Marcus Bullock started a construction company when he got home from prison, and now he is the founder and CEO of Flikshop: www.flikshop.com   Marcus is the keynote speaker at the Rise Up, Get Started Entrepreneurship Celebration in Kansas City, MO, on Thursday, May 30, Kansas City’s first entrepreneurship competition for formerly incarcerated people, hosted by Determination, Incorporated. The Rise Up, Get Started Entrepreneurship Celebration, is free and open to the public, get your tickets now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rise-up-get-started-entrepreneurship-celebration-tickets-59699862897

I launched one of the most impactful apps in the Apple App Store and Android Google Play stores...Flikshop. Flikshop keeps families that suffer from incarceration connected. Our users can take a photo, add some quick text, and for $0.99 Flikshop prints the photo and text on a real tangible postcard and ships it directly to any person in any jail, prison, youth facility or immigration facility. In 1996 I was arrested and faced LIFE in prison. I was 15 years old and ended up getting sentenced to serve 8 years in adult prisons throughout the State of Virginia. Because of my experience, I learned how important mail is to the 2.3 million men and women in prison and ended up creating a business that helps keep each of them connected to their families. After the success of the Flikshop mobile app I went on to create the Flikshop School of Business to assist in building reentry eco-systems for men and women released from prison that center around entrepreneurship, coding, and mobile app development. Our award-winning and program has won: 2015 Innovator of the Year (The Daily Record) and 2016 Aspen Ideas Festival Award (Booz Allen Hamilton). I sit on the board of directors of Justice Policy Institute and the advisory board for The Aspen Institute's Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund. My other specialties include team building and business development training. AUDACIOUS. INTEGRITY. BE BETTER. I encourage you to watch my TEDx Talk "The Prison to Entrepreneurship Pipeline" to learn more about my journey.

At age 15 Marcus Bullock was sentenced to 8 years in a maximum security prison. Today he is the CEO of Flikshop, a company he founded that helps keep families connected to their loved ones while they are incarcerated. Marcus sits down with host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss what led to his incarceration and his drive to become an entreprenuer.

Marcus Bullock, CEO and founder of Flikshop talks about his journey into entrepreneurship as a returned citizen after he served a prison sentence in his youth. Flikshop is a tech startup that allows users to communicate with an incarcerated family member or friend via a mobile app which prints their digital message out as a postcard and mails it for 99 cents. The idea came from when Bullock remembered how meaningful it was to hear from the outside world while in prison. Bullock also talks about what he has learned as an entrepreneur, his ideas about tech innovation, and his thoughts about start-up life.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/georgeindc)

Family engagement is the number one reason for successful re-entry of the incarcerated. The challenge? Access to the outside is expensive; phone bills can be overwhelming for some families and sending pictures and postcards requires time and postage. Marcus Bullock was "lucky" when he went to prison at age 15. His mother made it a mission to love him hard and sent postcards and pictures every day. Marcus wanted all incarcerated to have the same chance, and started Flikshop. Flikshop works like this: A family member uploads a screened (no nudity, no profanity) photo to Flikshop. The incarcerated person has been pre-identified and the photo shows up as a postcard, because cell phones are not allowed in institutions. This gives hope on the inside to make it on the outside. Felony Inc Podcast with your hosts Dave Dahl and Ladd Justesen We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland. Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil Show logo was designed by Carolyn Main Website was designed by Cameron Grimes Production assistant is Chelsea Lancaster Theme music "Free" written and recorded by Dave Dahl, all rights reserved, motherfuckers This weeks podcast brought to you in part by soap-on-a-rope, when you don't want to drop stuff Felony Inc Podcast supports City Central Concern at centralcityconcern.org 10% of gross revenue at Startup Radio Network goes to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries thru kiva.org/lender/markgrimes Listen to the Felony Inc Podcast live on-air every Friday at 10:00am pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

  There is a ton of opportunity that can come out of our prison cells; but only if we help create a culture of second chances. Marcus Bullock is an entrepreneur, justice reform advocate, and public speaker. Following his 2004 release from prison, he launched a painting business and is now CEO of construction firm Perspectives Premier Contractors, which employs other returning citizens. Bullock is also founder and CEO of mobile app Flikshop, a free app that enables incarcerated people the ability to receive postcards in the mail from friends and support organizations. Flikshop ships postcards to over 2,200 correctional facilities around the country, connecting thousands of families to their incarcerated loved ones. Flikshop has become a leader in their industry, and led Bullock to co-found Washington, DC non-profit Flikshop School of Business, a program that teaches persons returning to their community from prison life skills, entrepreneurship, and mobile application development. He is a member of the Justice Policy Institute’s board of directors, has been appointed by Washington, DC’s mayor as a Commissioner for Reentry and Returning Citizens Affairs, and Aspen Institute Scholar. Notable awards that Bullock has won are the 2015 Innovator of the Year (The Daily Record) and 2016 Booz Allen Hamilton Aspen Ideas award (The Aspen Institute). Married with two children, Bullock has given a TEDx Talk and received coverage from CNN, TechCrunch, Black Enterprise, NPR, and the Washington Business Journal.

Guests Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop and Katie Leonard, Founder of Zero Eight Three, discuss the power of entrepreneurship and employment for formerly incarcerated persons.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2p7Ogyb. Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2p7Ogyb. “Getting mail in prison is like hitting the lottery,” says successful entrepreneur and “returning citizen” Marcus Bullock, 36. That knowledge inspired him to launch Flikshop, a simple app for your phone that allows you to send a postcard to an incarcerated friend or family member. Bullock’s first post-release enterprise, which he continues to operate, is a contracting firm that employs returning citizens. The firm employs 31 full-time staff, most of whom had been incarcerated. Because people in youth detention facilities, jails and prisons don’t have access to phones and the internet, receiving mail is important. “That's the one thing that you have to know that someone on the planet cares about you,” Bullock says. Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

BAM! Marcus Bullock is successful entrepreneur. In this episode, Marcus discusses his beginnings as a youth in Washington DC and Virginia.  After serving eight years in prison, Marcus, the entrepreneur, has created the Flikshop School of Business and Flikshop.  From selling candy in grade school to selling food in prison, to making millions of dollars post-release Marcus discusses how none of that is possible without his mother, his wife, and his children.   Information about Flikshop: https://www.flikshop.com Information about the Flikshop School of Business: https://www.flikshopschoolofbusiness.com/ Marcus’ NPR Interview: http://www.npr.org/2017/08/11/542648319/as-a-boy-in-an-adult-prison-his-mothers-letters-were-everything Marcus’ TEDx Talk, The Prison to Entrepreneurship to Pipeline Marcus’ feature on CNN Money   Download Flikshop: On IOS:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flikshop/id534950350?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 On Android:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bullock.flikshop     Tweet about this episode: #decarceratedpodcast /@decarceratedpod /  _marlonpeterson Reach out to: Marcus Bullock: Twitter:@flikshop Instagram: flikshop Email: info@flikshop.com Leave a review on Itunes, Soundcloud, IHeartRadio, or wherever you subscribe. Please subscribe. Subscribe. Subscribe. Subscribe.  Subscribe. Subscribe. Subscribe. Subscribe. Subscribe. Subscribe.  Subscribe. Subscribe.   You can also send us an email with show comments and suggestions at decarcerated@beprecedential.com.

The Ex-Worker is back! And just in time, because a potentially historic national prisoner strike is just around the corner. In our 49th episode, we discuss the upcoming September 9th strike to end prison slavery, with an interview with the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee. You'll also hear a review of Dan Berger's book Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era; an interview with an anarchist from the UK about the Brexit vote; listener feedback on Spanish revolutionary militias, Comintern, and parallels with Rojava; updates on Kara Wild, a trans anarchist incarcerated in Paris; a letter from trans anarchist prisoner Jennifer Gann; plus news, prisoner birthdays, event announcements, and plenty more. {August 24, 2016} -------SHOW NOTES------ The September 9th National Prison Strike is coming up! To learn more, check out the Support Prisoner Resistance site, in particular the zines Let the Crops Rot in the Fields by the Free Alabama Movement, End Prison Slavery with several articles about emerging prisoner movements, and Incarcerated Workers Take the Lead by Houston IWOC. In our interview with Azzurra from the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, she referred to several texts, campaigns, and other resources, including: the Houston IWOC zine about the history of prisoner rebellion since 2008, the Attica Rebellion, Black August, the Flikshop app for sending postcards to prisoners easily and cheaply, Chicano anarchist political prisoner Xinachtli Alvaro Luna Hernandez and his Twitter account, Mumia Abu Jamal's struggle for Hepatits C treatment, Rashid Johnson's article “On the Questions of Race and Racism: Revolutionary National Liberation and Building the United Front Against Imperialism”, checking the IWOC website for ongoing updates, Jeremy's Hammond's recent trip to solitary confinement for “encouraging rebellion and criminal activities,” and criminologist Nils Christie's article Conflicts as Property about how the state has appropriated our conflicts. On the Chopping Block, we reviewed Dan Berger's book Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era. It discusses, among many other things, the life, death, and legacy of George Jackson, whose books Soledad Brother and Blood in My Eye can be read in full online. We interviewed Jon Active from Active Distribution in the UK about the Brexit vote. If you want to read more anarchist perspectives on it, check out these articles: “Building an anti-fascist culture post-Brexit” by some folks from the Anti-Raids Network, “On the tragic and the farcical of the British referendum” by the Void Network, and anarchist reflections on Brexit on Reddit. Please support Kara Wild, a trans anarchist from the US imprisoned in France in connection with recent militant protests in Paris. Here's a video of her in her former dwelling that she built and squatted in in Chicago. We'll post more updates on how to direct support her way as soon as we get them. In our listener feedback section, we shared a message from Jennifer Gann, a radical trans prisoner in California, who is requesting support. Check out her website to learn more about her case, or write to her at: J. Gann #E23852 KVSP-D1–209U P.O. Box 5103 Delano, CA 93216 We also referenced some other queer and/or trans prisoner solidarity links, including Black and Pink, the Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity, and a publication focusing on the writings of incarcerated women and trans and gender variant prisoners called Unstoppable. Another listener suggested that folks interested in the struggles in Rojava, and their potential parallels with the Spanish Revolution & Civil War, check out these articles titled “The International Brigades and the social revolution in Spain, 1936–1939” and “News of the Spanish Revolution: Anti-authoritarian Perspectives on the Events.” And if you're feeling down, just remember that in Phenix City, Alabama, an unnamed Taco Bell employee refused to serve four cops who came in to order food - because they were cops. That's what we mean by Fight where you stand! Prisoner birthdays this month: Eric King # 27090045 FCI Englewood Federal Correctional Institution 9595 West Quincy Avenue Littleton, CO 80123 {August 2nd} Bill Dunne #10916–086 USP Lompoc 3901 Klein Boulevard Lompoc, California 93436 {August 3rd} Debbie Sims Africa #006307 SCI Cambridge Springs 451 Fullerton Avenue Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania 16403 {August 4th} Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205–012 USP Victorville Post Office Box 3900 Adelanto, California 92301 {August 8th} Barrett Brown #45047–177 FCI Three Rivers Federal Correctional Institution P.O. Box 4200 Three Rivers, TX 78071 {August 14th} Hanif Shabazz Bey (Beaumont Gereau) #5161331 Seguro Correctional Center 1252 East Arica Road Eloy, Arizona 85131 {August 16th} Address envelope to Beaumont Gereau, address card to Hanif Maliki Shakur Latine # 81-A–4469 Shawangunk Correctional Facility Post Office Box 700 Wallkill, New York 12589 {August 23rd} Russell Maroon Shoatz #AF–3855 SCI Graterford P.O. Box 244 Graterford , PA 19426 {August 23rd} Ronald Reed #2195311 Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights 5329 Osgood Avenue North Stillwater, Minnesota 55082–1117 {August 31st}  

This week's Ever Better episode is a journal narrated by me, Lisa Conner Vogt. it highlights a common theme that I’ve observed with my guests, and brings you some of the best moments of recent episodes. This episode celebrates my guests who draw on their highly unique experiences to craft businesses that help others, as only they can. And, when I talk about their experiences, I’m including how and where they grew up, their families, the schools they attended, the jobs they’ve held, where they’ve lived, and their spiritual traditions. They’re taking the accumulation of their life knowledge and using it to help others. As I was thinking about the five guests that you’re about to hear from, I also considered how I’m building on my life experiences. And here’s what I came up with… My professional career spans almost thirty years – Yikes! I’ve worked for corporations, non-profits, small companies, and had my own businesses. I’ve held positions in marketing, communications, strategy, system development, project management, and I’ve managed hundreds of people.   When it comes to producing a podcast, I’m drawing on everything I’ve done in my life to put it all together. It turns out that creating and sustaining a podcast is a fairly complex undertaking! It involves booking guests, interviewing, organizing, marketing, networking, audio production, and website development. But everything I’m doing is an extension of what I’ve done before. And as I coach, and speak to groups, I’m drawing on my own unique life journey, and sharing my business, academic, personal, and spiritual experiences. By building on my life experiences as a podcaster, I’m hopefully enriching others’ lives. So, I have a challenge for you! As you listen to this episode, think about your life experiences and how you’re using those to enrich your families, your communities, your colleagues, people you volunteer with, and others you come into contact with. Is there more that you could be doing? Is there more that you could be giving? If love to hear your thoughts! Send me a note at Lisa@EverBetterU.com. And now, onto my guests... Today, you’ll hear from Jessie Mejia, Lise Metzger, Marcus Bullock, Erin Elizabeth Wells, and Dave Conley. Jesse Mejia was my third podcast guest way back in December 2015. Jesse draws on his family, academic and business experiences as he mentors and coaches Latino students and professionals who are considering next steps in their careers. South Central L.A. is where Jesse grew up with parents from El Salvador who don’t speak English. Many would consider him to have come from “disadvantaged circumstances.” But Jesse did well in school, earned a scholarship to Philips Exeter Academy and then went on to college and earned an MBA. He did very well in the corporate world rising to the position of Corporate Strategy Officer for VW. And then he left, to pursue his mission-driven focus. In this clip, Jesse explains how some of his childhood experiences prepared him for the leadership role that he plays today. Lise Metzger, my guest on episode 26, uses her experiences as an editor, photographer, mother, and food educator to create the Grounded Women blog. She uses her writing, photography, and interviewing skills to learn and share stories of women farmers and to educate readers about the many benefits of knowing where your food comes from. She discusses how her Grounded Women blog got started in this clip. Marcus Bullock, from episode 27, was convicted of carjacking at age 15 and spent the next 8 years of his life in jail. His family wholeheartedly supported him throughout that period of his life and made sure that they stayed in touch. As CEO of Flikshop, he’s drawing on his firsthand knowledge that staying connected to friends and family while incarcerated makes a significant difference while someone is in prison, and helps them to reconnect when they are released. Marcus explains the origins of Flikshop. Erin Elizabeth Wells, from episode 28, is an intentionality expert and productivity specialist at Chosen Course. She has studied and been involved with world religions throughout her life. And now, she’s combining her spiritual nature, her writing skills, and her talent for organizing to help her clients take “inspired action” to set and achieve goals.  She discusses the evolution of her business in this clip. Dave Conley, my guest on episode 29, is an igniter! Through his company, Limitl.es, he helps people start new companies, new initiatives, and reach new levels in their personal lives. He draws on his business experience that includes helping to get 32 million people onto the Internet with AOL, the joy he felt mentoring entrepreneurs throughout his career, starting his own companies, and his experiences working for the federal government. But, as you’ll hear, Dave is still striving to learn and improve each day. Learn more at EverBetterU.com. You can reach Lisa at Lisa@EverBetterU.com.    

Mini-interviews with Charles Duhigg and Marcus Bullock of Flikshop, from the Aspen Ideas festival.

Marcus Bullock is an entrepreneur with an extraordinary story. He’s the founder of Flikshop, what he calls the “coolest app in the app store.” Flikshop allows anyone, anywhere in the world, to take a picture and write a personal note that will be printed and delivered to any prison in the United States.   Marcus committed the crime of carjacking when he was 15 years old. He spent the next 8 years of his life in a maximum security prison with adults. Marcus says that getting a flik, or a picture, was like winning the lottery.   But Flikshop goes well beyond keeping spirits up. Marcus believes that prisoners who stay connected to friends and family assimilate more smoothly when they are released, making their chances of being arrested again less likely. And, with a prison population exceeding 2 million men and women, this app has the power to change the trajectory of millions of lives.    While he was incarcerated, Marcus educated himself and planned for a productive future, thanks to the persistence of his mother, his extended family, and friends. After his release, he started a construction company, and then Flikshop, and most recently, he and his colleagues established the Flikshop School of Business to help give men and women who are incarcerated a blueprint for success and role models.     In our discussion, Marcus explains what it was like to “grow up” in the prison system, his drive to further his education, his future plans for Flikshop, and, a story I love, how he met his wife!    Listen to the podcast to hear Marcus discuss:  Living at an adult, maximum security prison facility from age 15 to 23. Being in denial for his first two years behind bars.  Educating himself in prison. Lifelong friendships established in jail. His mother's encouragement and her achievement of earning a PhD to become Dr. Bullock. How Flikshop grew out of Marcus' desire to share his construction company's success with his friends who were still incarcerated. Justice Policy Institute: using data to demonstrate why children are being locked inside prison with adults. 2.2 million women and men currently incarcerated in the U.S. Launching a mobile app. Flikshop School of Business that provides a path to success for inmates - introducing life skills, job readiness skills, and entrepreneurial skills. Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop Winning the Aspen Ideas Festival - barnstorm prison to spread the success stories of other former inmates -  "A speakers bureau for prisons." Three practices: Spiritual prayer warrior Making to-do lists Using the calendar on his phone Bootstrapping the business and preparing to accept venture capital Best friend Dwayne's book of poetry.  Being inspired by his 5-year old son, Marcus, Jr. Meeting his wife, Andrea.   Contact Lisa: Lisa@EverBetterU.com  

Three stories from our live StartUp StorySlam series. Marcus Bullock tells the story of how serving time in prison led him to found the app Flikshop. Parchelle Hotten tells about the most contagious video she has ever produced. Corey Furlan tells how he and friends started a movement to bring professional soccer to Philadelphia. Learn more at StartUpStorySlam.org.