The Pioneers
Entrepreneur Development Program — First in Bureau of Prisons History
These are not just business names on a page. These are real companies founded by real people inside federal prison walls — pioneers who chose to build empires instead of excuses. Every one of them will teach the next generation of returning citizens how to start and run their own business. All for the nonprofit. All for the mission.
Ben Earl Junior Johnson
Founder & Creator — Each One Teach One
Entrepreneur Development Program
FCI Beckley Camp, Beaver, West Virginia • Reg. No. 99488-509
"To empower the returning inmates and homeless — show them that having faith in God, they will get a second chance."
— Ben Earl Junior Johnson
Danyiell Nicole Wright Johnson
Co-Founder & Treasurer
The strength, faith, and force behind the mission — holding it all together from the outside while her husband builds the vision from within.
Schoolyard Community Greensboro N.C. LLC
College Dorm Yard Community
StadiumYard Community
Second Chance Community Yard
Each pioneer business operates under Second Chance Community Yard Greensboro N.C. Ltd. — training reentry inmates and homeless individuals to set up and start their own businesses. When they're released, they don't just get a job — they become the employer.
9
Pioneer Businesses
9+
Inmates Making Change
1st
Ever in BOP History
4
Communities Founded
The Pioneer Entrepreneurs
Each business — founded inside prison walls — will soon have its own website. Click to learn more.
The Model That Changes Everything
Every pioneer was told they couldn't. Every one of them built a business anyway — from inside a federal prison camp. When released, they don't just re-enter society. They lead it. They hire. They teach. They prove that a second chance isn't charity — it's an investment with a return that multiplies.
9
Pioneers
90+
Trained
900+
New Entrepreneurs
Infinite
Impact
"These aren't inmates with business plans. These are business owners who happen to be incarcerated. And when those gates open, they're not looking for a job — they're creating jobs. That's the difference. That's the revolution."
The Each One Teach One Entrepreneur Fund
Training is only half the story. Our members access startup capital through a self-sustaining Revolving Entrepreneur Fund at 10% fixed interest — they borrow, build, repay, and those dollars fund the next Pioneer, repeating the cycle indefinitely.
Loans from $500 to $10,000, governed by a member Loan Committee. See the full terms, membership rules, and the printable loan agreement.
Build a Nation of Entrepreneurs
"Bringing families back together — one community, one business, one second chance at a time."
The Pioneers don't stop at training. They hire the inmates and homeless they teach. Those graduates then turn around and do the same thing for the next class. That's how Each One Teach One becomes a self-sustaining engine that reaches every state in America.
The Chain Reaction
01
TRAIN
Pioneers train inmates and homeless individuals in their trade or business
02
HIRE
Pioneer businesses hire those they trained — real wages, real opportunity
03
TEACH
Newly trained graduates become teachers for the next class
04
REPLICATE
The model expands to the next city, next state — until all 50 are covered
50 States
Starting in Greensboro, NC. Replicating to 11 NC cities first, then every state in the country. A Schoolyard Community in every region.
Inmates + Homeless
Reentry citizens and individuals experiencing homelessness train side-by-side. Same housing, same coaching, same opportunity.
Families Reunited
Stable income + housing + healed mindset = a parent who can come home. Reuniting families is the ultimate measure.
Pioneers Give Back
Every Pioneer business donates time and funds to train the next class. They sponsor housing buses. They mentor weekly. They hire graduates. This isn't a once-and-done program — it's a lifelong commitment to the next person standing where they once stood. More entrepreneurs joining soon.
Self-Sustaining Pipeline
10
Pioneers
100
Trained & Hired
1,000
Business Owners
10,000+
Families Reunited