Episode 6: Practical Thoughts for Fair Chance Employers

Meet Maria.  She founded Awake Window & Door Co in July 2020 to meet a need.  Joining together with three other owners, they recognized qualified men and women were missing out on job opportunities because they had a criminal background.  They built a company to prove simply that people can be qualified to do great work despite their past… and it’s working. 

In just over five years, Awake Window & Door Co has grown from $200K to over $30 million.  Over 50% of the workforce has a justice-involved background and build high-end windows and doors for a demanding market. 

Join us in learning from Maria what it means to be a fair chance employer and some practical lessons learned along the way.      

Music by  Armond “Mondo” Thomas.

Links from the episode:

https://oudbiztoolkit.org – Opioid Use Disorder Business Toolkit used by Awake Window & Door Co and other AZ business to build a recovery-aware workplace.

https://arizonaatwork.com – AZ @ Work is a powerful community resource connecting talented job seekers to AZ companies. 

https://jessecrosson.com – “The Best Part of Prison” by Jesse Crosson is an inside look at the men and women breaking all the stigmas during and after incarceration.

https://www.ihaveabean.com/pages/second-chances - I Have a Bean is a fair chance employer and creator of the best coffee we’ve ever tried!