Press & Media
Newsroom
The latest news, press releases, and media coverage from the Prison Entrepreneurship Program.

GHCF spotlights PEP as a high-impact grantee, deploying its $200,000 grant to expand the PEP Collider and serve 285 returning citizens with approximately $600,000 in loans and grants in 2025.
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Apr 21, 2026
WFAA follows participants at the Sanders Estes Unit through PEP's transformative program, documenting the personal and professional journey from incarceration to entrepreneurship.
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Apr 15, 2026
Right on Crime highlights PEP's impact on the conservative criminal justice reform movement, showcasing alumni who have launched businesses and are now giving back to the next generation of participants.
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Mar 15, 2026
WFAA's political affairs program examines how PEP is transforming Texas prisons into entrepreneurship incubators, and the broader policy implications for criminal justice reform in the state.
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Jan 15, 2026
Voyage Dallas sits down with PEP's CEO Chris Valka to explore the program's mission, growth, and the leaders driving systemic change in criminal justice through entrepreneurship.
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Dec 11, 2025
Houston's ABC13 spotlights PEP's proven approach to reducing recidivism through entrepreneurship education, character formation, and post-release support for returning citizens.
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Oct 8, 2025
A Substack essay explores PEP's unconventional approach, using joy, competition, and entrepreneurial energy to transform the prison experience and create lasting change.
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Sep 10, 2025
Small Business Majority profiles a PEP alumnus who navigated the barriers of a criminal record to launch a business, build a family legacy, and become a model for second-chance entrepreneurship in Texas.
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Jun 26, 2025
Canvas Rebel profiles PEP alumnus Michael Etcheson, whose journey through the program led him to launch a business and become a model for second-chance entrepreneurship.
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Aug 19, 2024
Local Profile highlights PEP's expansion into North Texas and the organization's call for business executives and community leaders to volunteer inside prison walls.
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Mar 21, 2024Houston Chronicle: “Houston Chronicle: PEP Among Houston Charities Receiving MacKenzie Scott Grants”
The Houston Chronicle reports that PEP was among the Houston-area nonprofits selected to receive an unrestricted grant from MacKenzie Scott's philanthropic giving initiative.
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Media Inquiries
Journalists and media professionals are invited to reach out for interviews, data requests, and story pitches.
press@pep.org