Jevon Wooden

And then the other piece is my work ethic. So when I think about poverty, when I think about having to depend on someone else to feed me, to give me clothing, whatever the case is, I don't want that and I don't want that for anyone else. So that's why it's very important for me to pour back into my community in Rochester, but also any community that's impoverished and underserved.

And then the other piece is my work ethic. So when I think about poverty, when I think about having to depend on someone else to feed me, to give me clothing, whatever the case is, I don't want that and I don't want that for anyone else. So that's why it's very important for me to pour back into my community in Rochester, but also any community that's impoverished and underserved.

underrepresented today. So I do a lot of work, pro bono work in that space, coaching individuals, storing clothing drives, educational, go to prisons to do business pitch competitions so they understand the path of entrepreneurship that's open to them. My dissertation that I'm doing, my doctorate right now is on digital entrepreneurship and how it alleviates poverty in the urban United States.

underrepresented today. So I do a lot of work, pro bono work in that space, coaching individuals, storing clothing drives, educational, go to prisons to do business pitch competitions so they understand the path of entrepreneurship that's open to them. My dissertation that I'm doing, my doctorate right now is on digital entrepreneurship and how it alleviates poverty in the urban United States.

So just about everything I do comes back to my experience to say, you know what? I know what it's like and I know we don't have to be there. We don't have to stay there. There are opportunities. And I also know that representation matters because I didn't see anyone succeed from my neighborhood.

So just about everything I do comes back to my experience to say, you know what? I know what it's like and I know we don't have to be there. We don't have to stay there. There are opportunities. And I also know that representation matters because I didn't see anyone succeed from my neighborhood.

And that impacted me because when I started getting that success, you get survivors remorse and you have to be able to understand that. So you have to go through the therapy and the coaching and all these other things to find what the root cause of that is and then find how you can turn that into a power and not something that can weigh you down.

And that impacted me because when I started getting that success, you get survivors remorse and you have to be able to understand that. So you have to go through the therapy and the coaching and all these other things to find what the root cause of that is and then find how you can turn that into a power and not something that can weigh you down.

No, they gave me six months. I was on probation for six months, so if I had gotten into trouble, I would have had to do that. But it got expunged. So when I went to the military, they expunged it because it wasn't a charge.

No, they gave me six months. I was on probation for six months, so if I had gotten into trouble, I would have had to do that. But it got expunged. So when I went to the military, they expunged it because it wasn't a charge.

Yeah, that's a great question, Vince. So how I felt initially was, I will say when I called my mother, it was probably like two in the morning. When they finally took me to the cell, they allowed me to call her. And I told her, and I remember that like it was yesterday, calling her and hearing her voice. She's asleep. And I'm like, hey, I'm in jail. I just hear her wake up like, what the hell?

Yeah, that's a great question, Vince. So how I felt initially was, I will say when I called my mother, it was probably like two in the morning. When they finally took me to the cell, they allowed me to call her. And I told her, and I remember that like it was yesterday, calling her and hearing her voice. She's asleep. And I'm like, hey, I'm in jail. I just hear her wake up like, what the hell?

What do I need to do? Do you need a lawyer? Blah, blah, blah. And I remember her kicking into action. And then I remember when she came to visit me. So in this time, it's probably like a few weeks, a couple of weeks, right? She came to the sentencing. I remember her being behind me. Not the sentencing, but when they take me in the courtroom.

What do I need to do? Do you need a lawyer? Blah, blah, blah. And I remember her kicking into action. And then I remember when she came to visit me. So in this time, it's probably like a few weeks, a couple of weeks, right? She came to the sentencing. I remember her being behind me. Not the sentencing, but when they take me in the courtroom.

And then they put it to recess or whatever so we could get the lawyer and all that other stuff. And I remember seeing her. She looked so worn down. I remember that visitation room, you get the browns in Monroe County, where I'm from in Rochester, you have a brown jumpsuit and then it says property of Monroe County.

And then they put it to recess or whatever so we could get the lawyer and all that other stuff. And I remember seeing her. She looked so worn down. I remember that visitation room, you get the browns in Monroe County, where I'm from in Rochester, you have a brown jumpsuit and then it says property of Monroe County.

And I remember coming into that visitation room and you got to go through the strip search and all that other stuff. And I was just like numb. I was numb until I walked into the visitation room and I looked around and everyone looked like me. And then they interact, there's glass between us. Right. So I'm like, I'm looking at my mom. She's worn looking at my older sister. She's worn down.

And I remember coming into that visitation room and you got to go through the strip search and all that other stuff. And I was just like numb. I was numb until I walked into the visitation room and I looked around and everyone looked like me. And then they interact, there's glass between us. Right. So I'm like, I'm looking at my mom. She's worn looking at my older sister. She's worn down.

And I'm like, I caused that stress. I caused that stress by being here. And it just it broke me down to my core. That's that's how I felt initially before that. Yeah, I was upset at the guy that I went out with. Man, you got me into this, but you're not even in here. But then I realized, like, what part do I play? And that the part that I play was everything. It was on me.

And I'm like, I caused that stress. I caused that stress by being here. And it just it broke me down to my core. That's that's how I felt initially before that. Yeah, I was upset at the guy that I went out with. Man, you got me into this, but you're not even in here. But then I realized, like, what part do I play? And that the part that I play was everything. It was on me.