How Comeback Catalyst is creating new opportunities for formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs across Canada

A Canadian non-profit is expanding its efforts to help formerly incarcerated people overcome employment barriers by turning business ideas into potential sources of income. 

Comeback Catalyst provides entrepreneurship training, coaching, mentorship, and professional development to justice-impacted Canadians interested in launching a business or side hustle. 

The organization has supported more than 160 graduates since launching, with 46 businesses created through its programming. Over the next three years, it plans to work with 390 additional participants while introducing new supports focused on business growth and financial literacy. 

“We are a non-profit that exists because formerly incarcerated Canadians face significant barriers to employment,” Comeback Catalyst Co-Founder and CEO Lucy Cullen told Now Toronto.

According to Cullen, the average annual income among formerly incarcerated Canadians is approximately $14,000, while having a criminal record can make finding employment significantly more difficult. Comeback Catalyst is attempting to address that gap by offering a free six-week program that teaches participants how to develop and launch a business idea. 

The program also includes access to a community of people with similar experiences. Participants have developed businesses in industries including clothing, landscaping, catering, roofing and food production. 

Cullen said many people applying to the program already have ideas but lack the resources, confidence and professional networks needed to move forward.

“Many of our applicants already have business ideas but are looking for the knowledge, mentorship and support to launch or relaunch them,” she explained.

Entrepreneurship as another pathway

Cullen, who has spent the past 12 years building startups and teaching entrepreneurship, explains that she also spent time advocating for improved food quality within Canada’s justice system. She started Comeback Catalyst after she and a wider team were given the opportunity to pilot an entrepreneurship program for people affected by the justice system. 

The organization does not position business ownership as a replacement for traditional employment, withCullen saying stable work should remain a priority whenever possible, particularly because starting a business can take time and financial security. 

“There is a significant need for more fair-chance employment opportunities in Canada,” she said. “Our goal isn’t to position entrepreneurship as a replacement for employment, but to provide another pathway to economic opportunity.”

For many participants, employment is only one of several challenges they face while rebuilding their lives.

Cullen said that people impacted by the justice system may also experience unstable housing, difficulty accessing financial services, weakened support systems and ongoing stigma. She explained that those realities can make it difficult to focus on developing a business. 

Comeback Catalyst’s intake process is designed to determine whether participants are currently in a position to focus on entrepreneurship. The organization is also working to develop partnerships with agencies that can provide support in areas like housing.

Cullen said greater investment is still needed across Canada to support people reintegrating into society. That includes access to employment, housing, mentorship, community and entrepreneurship programs.

Building confidence and community

Although Comeback Catalyst teaches practical skills such as marketing and business planning, Cullen said one of the most significant changes she sees among participants is often personal.

“Feedback we very often receive is the shift in confidence,” she said. “And I think a big part of that is the community, and being surrounded by a community that believes in you and your ability to succeed.”

Some participants enter the program carrying years of stigma or believing that professional opportunities are no longer available to them. Cullen said Comeback Catalyst aims to create an environment centred on participants’ potential rather than their past.

“It’s important for us that we are creating a space and community focused on the success of all participants who join the program,” she said.

Rebranded Studios

That sense of community was particularly meaningful for graduate Adam Quartey, founder of Toronto clothing business Rebranded Studios. Quartey joined the program hoping to learn how to operate a business and gain access to resources he felt other entrepreneurs already had.

He said learning alongside people who had gone through similar experiences helped him feel less isolated.

“Being able to have a space where I can be around people that have been through what I’ve been through has been such a remarkable thing for me,” Quartey shared.

Through Rebranded Studios, Quartey customizes clothing and helps clients bring their ideas to life. He chose the name to reflect his own effort to rebuild his identity and encourage others to do the same.

“My business is called Rebranded Studios because I’ve tried to change my life, and I want people to see that they can change their life,” he explained.

Other Comeback Catalyst graduates have created businesses across several different sectors.

Cullen pointed to Cody P., a graduate from the organization’s first cohort who launched Bancroft Boxing & Grappling in Bancroft, Ont., and reportedly gained 60 customers during his first week.

She also highlighted Jessica Compton, whose success was evident during her launch.

“Jessica Compton is the Founder of Tree of Stars and launched her book last year, called Bits and Pieces. We went to the launch event and it was a packed room, and incredible to see all the support surrounding her book launch!”

Cullen emphasized that those achievements belong to the entrepreneurs themselves.

“Their achievements are entirely their own, and we’re simply fortunate to play a small role in supporting their journey,” she said.

Challenging stigma through storytelling

Comeback Catalyst estimates that approximately 75 per cent of its graduates will launch a business within 12 months of completing the program.

In addition to expanding its entrepreneurship programming, the organization plans to introduce supports focused on scaling businesses and building financial literacy. It is also preparing to launch a podcast later this year featuring stories from justice-impacted individuals.

Cullen explained that the project is intended to challenge misconceptions by allowing people to speak openly about their experiences.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that people assume they know someone’s story,” she said.

“If someone is working to rebuild their life, they deserve the opportunity to earn a living and be supported in that process to reintegrate into society.”

She said Canadians should be willing to listen rather than reducing people to their past involvement with the justice system.

“I’d encourage people to replace assumptions with a willingness to listen to someone’s story,” Cullen said.

As Comeback Catalyst grows, Cullen hopes the organization can help create more small businesses across  Canada, while shifting how justice system-impacted entrepreneurs are viewed.

For Quartey, the program helped reinforce the belief that a person’s past does not have to determine what comes next.

“I want them to know that they can always rebrand themselves,” he said. “Every day is a new day. Every moment is a new moment. You always have an opportunity and a chance.”