Houston Hackathon Sparks Innovative Solutions for Second-Chance Employment

Houston Hackathon Sparks Innovative Solutions for Second-Chance Employment

PLANO, Texas, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a state where over 78,000 individuals are released from incarceration annually and approximately 75 percent remain unemployed a year later, the need for actionable solutions is urgent. The two-day Bank on 100 Million Houston Hackathon, held April 23–24, brought together more than 140 justice-impacted leaders, employers, policymakers, and community organizations to co-create pathways to economic opportunity and successful workforce reentry.

Hosted by Mission: Launch in partnership with Aventiv Technologies, the two-day event featured design thinking sessions and innovation labs aimed at dismantling barriers faced by individuals with criminal records. Participants collaborated on solutions such as digital career readiness programs, skills-based hiring models, and cross-sector partnerships to meet industry labor demands and drive long-term economic growth.

Event Highlights:

• Six dynamic fireside chats focused on tablet solutions, reentry, and employment, featuring justice-impacted individuals and local business leaders including Chris Valka (Prison Entrepreneurship Program), Jane Oates (WorkingNation), Cornell Johnson (Center for Energy Workforce Development), John Pallasch (One Workforce Solutions), Josh Pritchett (Job1Stop), Katrina Camacho (Harris County Sheriff's Office), Aarin Clemens (Polaris MEP), and Tamala McBath (Dress for Success Phoenix).
• Breakout sessions focused on key opportunity areas, where teams engaged in ideation, resource mapping, and design sprints to develop scalable solutions to real-world reentry challenges.

"We're incredibly proud of what this hackathon accomplished—not just the innovative ideas, but the energy and commitment from everyone involved," said Alisha Shoates James, Senior Vice President, Aventiv Technologies. "Opening doors for justice-impacted individuals is a smart investment in our economy and our communities. When we create real opportunities for people to succeed after incarceration, we reduce long-term costs, strengthen the workforce, and build safer, more vibrant communities."

Teresa Hodge, Founder of Mission: Launch and Chair of the Aventiv Advisory Board, emphasized the economic imperative of second-chance employment: "In Houston, where the unemployment rate stands at 4.5 percent, embracing second-chance employment isn't merely a compassionate choice, it's an economic imperative. By opening doors to those eager to contribute, we not only fill critical labor gaps but also strengthen our communities. The Hackathon event showed that when we invest in second chances, we invest in a brighter, more inclusive future for all."

Aventiv Technologies will continue to invest in reentry support through its tablet-based education and job readiness technology, while Mission: Launch will work alongside partners to implement and expand the solutions developed during the hackathon.

For more information, visit Mission-Launch.org.

About Aventiv Technologies
Aventiv Technologies, headquartered in Plano, Texas, is a leading provider of innovative, secure technology solutions that transform connectivity for correctional facilities, law enforcement agencies, incarcerated individuals, and their loved ones. Through its trusted brands—Securus Technologies®, Securus Monitoring®, and JPay®— Aventiv delivers over 80 cost-effective, safety-enhancing products that drive operational efficiency and create meaningful connections that strengthen community outcomes. Serving over 1,800 agencies nationwide, Aventiv is part of the Platinum Equity portfolio. Learn more at www.Aventiv.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X. 

About Mission: Launch
Headquartered in Columbia, MD, Mission: Launch (M:L) supports individuals living with arrest or conviction records and uplifts the voices of families impacted by mass incarceration. Its mission is to shorten the time it takes justice-impacted individuals to achieve economic stability through pathways to family-sustaining wages. For over a decade, Mission: Launch has led the country in building cross-sector bridges through convenings, coalition building, and innovation cohorts. Signature initiatives include the Bank on 100 Million Coalition, the hackathon convening platform, and LaunchPad Career Pathways, a 12-month career exposure program for justice-impacted workers to drive American growth in high-demand sectors.

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SOURCE Aventiv Technologies