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Turning Moments Into Momentum

Founded in 2004, PEP provides a holistic

solution of forming men while in prison to

develop the business skills and character

traits necessary for entrepreneurship. Upon

release, PEP supports them with

wraparound services (community,

employment, transportation, transition

housing, and business services).

Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) unites executives and inmates through entrepreneurial passion and servant leadership to transform lives, restore families, and rebuild communities.

Our Journey of Transformation

PEP started at the Carol Vance Unit in 2004.

Initially, PEP’s founder Catherine Rohr attended an Easter service with a group from Prison Fellowship. Later that day, she attended a dinner where she met a successful business owner who spent time in prison. This gave Catherine a different perspective of inmates and she realized the potential that was behind prison walls.

The first class started out of sheer spontaneity. While visiting Texas, Catherine maximized her time by inviting some of her executive friends to join her in prison.

Arriving on the unit unexpectedly; an announcement over the loudspeaker to join a group of executives to learn about business, yielded 60 willing inmates.

To Catherine’s surprise, the first class was born.

After successfully completing the first class, Catherine quit her job in New York and moved back to California.

PEP was then incorporated as Legacy Planning Institute in June 2004.

Scroll through our history below

December 2004
August 2005
November 2005
January 2006
August 2006
October 2007
December 2007
January 2008
September 2009
October 2010
January 2011
March 2011
February 2013
August 2014
September 2014
March 2015
July 2017
November 2019
May 2020
June 2020
July 2021
September 2021
September 2021
September 2022
January 2023
May 2023
October 2023
November 2023

The name was changed to Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP).

PEP became headquartered in Houston, Texas. 

The first eSchool class was held at St. Thomas University, where it would be held until relocating to Rice University. From Rice, eSchool transitioned to University of Houston—Downtown. With growth, eSchool is now being held at its own location—PEP University in both Houston and Dallas. 

Class II started on the Hamilton Unit, where we would remain through Class VII.  

Recruited three long-term Peer Educators to facilitate curriculum. This has extended to the Servant Leader infrastructure we utilize today.  

Introduced first Character Assessment during Class VII.

Started recruiting system wide, in anticipation of moving to Cleveland.  

PEP moved to Cleveland with dedicated classroom and computer lab space. 

Repentance of founder and leadership change  

First pre-BPC class added to the curriculum  

Replaced textbook with college-level textbook.  

Men’s Life: Quest for Authentic Manhood added to curriculum.  

Introduction of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): Personality Introspective Tool  

Leadership Academy was born from pre-BPC class.  

First Leadership Academy class at new second unit—Sanders Estes 

First full BPC graduation at Sanders Estes  

First Leadership Academy at TDCJ-ID unit—Gib Lewis 

First Barbed Wire to Business (B2B) pitch competition held at George W. Bush Presidential Center. PEP announces vision to start a commercial lender and open a space dedicated to returned citizen entrepreneurship. 

PEP launches Leadership Academy Correspondence Course in response to COVID pandemic and the resulting TDCJ lockdown. 

Entre Capital – PEP’s inhouse commercial lender – makes its first loan to a PEP graduate business. 

Introduce eSchool Aspiration as an entrepreneurship-focus leading to the Big Aspirational Mingle (BAM!) event. 

First BPC with team format and first BPC after COVID. 

First BAM! event held for participant entrepreneurs to pitch their vision to volunteers in a post-release setting.

PEP Collider opens as a dedicated returned citizen space to foster more “collisions” between volunteers and participants. 

Revamp eSchool to be eSchool Networking to increase volunteer-participant interactions. 

Launch Learning Management System (LMS) as the sole testing resource. 

Introduced PEP Clubhouse as an interactive conversation/open dialogue format. 

PEP Collider hosts large scale BAM! event with 100+ in attendance. 

After 20 years of development, PEP has learned that entrepreneurship is a vehicle for transformation; and that the fundamentals of an entrepreneurial character become the foundation for a healthy, judgment-free community – a second chance community in which a person can belong, regardless of whether a person was incarcerated.  This approach to community is what has kept mentors and business leaders engaged as volunteers year after year; many times, remaining in relationship well past the period of active engagement. 

Photography by Israel Thompson.
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Photography by Israel Thompson.
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The Prison Entrepreneurship Program unites executives and inmates through entrepreneurial passion and servant leadership to transform lives, restore families, and rebuild communities.

PEP –  HOUSTON
6501 Navigation Blvd Ste. H7 Houston, TX 77011
832-767-0928

PEP –  NORTH TEXAS
2435 N Central Expy #150 Richardson, TX 75080
214-575-9909

info@pep.org

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©2025 Prison Entrepreneurship Program. All rights reserved.


Prison Entrepreneurship Program is a 501(𝗰)(3) non-profit as determined by the Internal Revenue Service 

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