LIFE SKILLS FOR RESILIENCE
"The Positive, the Possible & the Genius in each of us...
it's core to my belief that each of us contains unique gifts, untapped potential, and when unleashed can serve us as we navigate life's challenges."
- Mike Huggins
Every person has the capacity to grow, heal, and create a new path forward—yet too often those within the justice system are denied the tools and opportunities to do so. Life Skills for Resilience is built on the belief that resilience is not only possible, but essential. Our program empowers individuals to recognize their strengths, navigate challenges with confidence, and envision a future beyond cycles of trauma and incarceration.
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Through practices that cultivate self-awareness, emotional balance, and meaningful connection, participants discover that resilience is more than just surviving—it’s the foundation for thriving. By learning to manage stress, communicate with clarity, and make choices aligned with their values, individuals reclaim their power to shape their own story. Life Skills for Resilience opens the door to transformation, preparing participants to return to their families and communities with hope, confidence, and the skills to create lasting change.
Unlocking Potential. Transforming Lives. Reducing Recidivism.
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Defy Ventures is a national nonprofit that equips currently and formerly incarcerated individuals — whom we call Entrepreneurs in Training (EITs) — with the skills, mindset, and support they need to build meaningful careers and purposeful lives. Through intensive personal development, entrepreneurship training, and employment preparation, Defy helps people break cycles of incarceration and create new futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Our approach is rooted in the belief that no one should be defined forever by their worst choice. We work to replace the prison pipeline with an opportunity pipeline — reducing recidivism, restoring dignity, and igniting the human potential often overlooked by society.
The Pennsylvania chapter brings Defy’s proven curriculum to correctional facilities and reentry programs across the Commonwealth. We partner with prisons, parole agencies, employers, and community organizations to deliver:
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Entrepreneurship and Career Training — equipping participants with both business and workplace skills.
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Personal Development and Mindset Coaching — shifting from a “victim” to an “ownership” mindset.
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Mentorship and Networking — connecting EITs with business leaders, volunteers, and potential employers.
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Post-Release Support — helping graduates secure jobs, start businesses, and maintain strong community ties.
My Role as Founder
I launched the Pennsylvania chapter of Defy Ventures to bring this life-changing work to my home state. My involvement is deeply hands-on — from building partnerships with correctional facilities to recruiting and training volunteers, mentoring EITs, and securing the resources needed to expand our reach.
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I’ve served as a workshop facilitator inside correctional facilities, a mentor to program graduates, and an advocate for criminal justice reform in Pennsylvania. I also lead fundraising efforts and community outreach to ensure the chapter can sustain and grow its programs.
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For me, this is more than a cause — it’s a mission. I’ve seen firsthand the transformation that happens when people are given the tools, belief, and opportunity to succeed. Every class, every coaching conversation, every small business launched by an EIT is proof that redemption is real and that investing in human potential changes entire communities.
6 Techniques for
Building Resilience
GET INVOLVED
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Whether you want to volunteer inside a prison, mentor a returning citizen, or help fund our work, your involvement matters. Together, we can break the cycle of incarceration and build a Pennsylvania where second chances are the norm, not the exception.
Learn more about how you can be part of Defy Ventures Pennsylvania