Mission: Launch to Host Community Hackathon in Phoenix, Arizona to Accelerate Collaboration and Positive Post-Prison Outcomes
In partnership with the Arizona Career Development Center and Aventiv Technologies, the hackathon enables program and policy improvements around jobs, entrepreneurship, and economic development, creating regional and national impact.
PHOENIX, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mission: Launch, led by national criminal justice advocate Teresa Hodge, announced Phoenix, Arizona as the nonprofit's next location in their "Bank On 100 Million (Bo100M) Hackathon" series. Hackathons are community gatherings that bring together cross-sector leaders to accelerate organizational collaboration and the creation of programs, practices, and policies designed to improve job, small business lending, and economic development outcomes for citizens living with an arrest and/or a conviction record. The Bo100M Arizona Hackathon takes place at Arizona State University's (ASU) Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions campus on October 11th-12th, with a diverse guest list including business, policy, education, corrections, and philanthropic sector leaders, alongside subject matter experts who are, or were, justice-impacted.
This event leverages Mission: Launch's unique ability to convene, connect, and drive impact with key partners, such as the Arizona Career Development Center (ACDC) and event title sponsor, Aventiv Technologies. Mission: Launch, ACDC, and Aventiv share a commitment to remove the most challenging barriers for citizens with records. Their commitment matters specifically to the Arizona community – the state with the fifth-highest incarceration rate in the nation, housing approximately 1.5 million Arizonans living with a record and over 34,000 incarcerated individuals placed across 16 public and private state corrections facilities and 16 county detention centers.
"Right now, we have a tremendous opportunity and are honored to help facilitate a community gathering in Arizona where so many conversations are taking place and great models of success exist," says Hodge. "We look forward to attendees hearing about Watts College's partnership with the Arizona State Department of Corrections, and the impressive efforts our event co-host ACDC is undertaking alongside other local service providers."
Event co-host ACDC warmly welcomes local Arizona attendees and national leaders coming to Phoenix to learn and share their perspectives. "We are thankful for the energy the 'Bank On 100 Million Hackathon' brings to Arizona and locally in Phoenix," said Michelle Jordan, ACDC CEO and Executive Director. "We know local, public, and private sector leaders have built solutions that work for Arizonans, so having this time together at the Hackathon will help us build stronger bridges for the future."
The event is free by way of community sponsorship from Aventiv Technologies, a platform empowering rehabilitative justice with secure, affordable, and accessible modern technology that connects America's corrections community – including incarcerated individuals, their loved ones, and state and local partner agencies. Aventiv is also the primary technology partner for the Arizona State Department of Corrections (ASDC), creating a unique opportunity to engage with citizens who might have used their tablets while incarcerated.
"Nearly two-thirds of formerly incarcerated individuals remain jobless six months following their release, and the percentage grows with the distance from release, meaning we are sidelining talent that can bridge labor shortages facing every community today," said Dave Abel, Aventiv CEO. "Aventiv has a responsibility as the leading technology provider to America's incarcerated community, nationwide and in Arizona, to connect incarcerated individuals with resources that encourage successful reentry while joining like-minded change agents to encourage fair chance hiring and to remove outdated systemic barriers."
"We are proud to be at this table and in the community to listen," he said.
For more information on and to register for the Hackathon, visit the event registration page here.
About Mission: Launch
Headquartered in Baltimore, MD, Mission: Launch (M:L) supports individuals living with records and amplifies the voices of families impacted by mass incarceration. The company's mission is to shorten the time it takes a person to reach economic stability after coming in contact with the criminal legal system. For over a decade, M:L has established itself as a leading criminal justice organization known for building bridges across communities through convenings, coalition building, and incubating innovation, with its signature convening being criminal justice reentry focused hackathons. M:L is the founding member of the Bank on 100 Million Coalition, a platform for solutions-oriented leaders dedicated to ecosystem change that clears pathways to possibilities for citizens living with arrest or conviction records in their local communities and state.
About Arizona State University Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions
The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions is one of the 24 independent school units of Arizona State University (ASU). It is located at ASU's Downtown Phoenix Campus in Arizona, and is a highly ranked, comprehensive college of public service. The four schools and over 20 research centers advance relevant educational programs and evidence-based solutions to address some of the world's most challenging social issues.
About Aventiv Technologies
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Aventiv Technologies serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement, and corrections agencies and over 1.1 million incarcerated individuals across North America. Aventiv is committed to serving and connecting by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, incarcerated self-service, and monitoring products and services to make our world safer. For more information, please visit Aventiv.com or join us on LinkedIn. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies serving customers worldwide.
About Arizona Career Development Center (ACDC)
ACDC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that aims to provide basic nationally accredited education, technical and life skills, and apprenticeship programming, with high-impact employment placement services that begin with local Arizona construction firms to meet Arizona building needs.
SOURCE Mission: Launch
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