Entrepreneurship Education for Formerly Incarcerated Persons - South Carolina

Noah’s Ark, Imari Mackey

Thanks to FLEE, Imari is changing the world one house at a time. During his time serving in federal prison, Imari heard about the Dannon Project’s Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship & Education (FLEE) Program. FLEE is funded by MBDA’s Entrepreneurship Education for Formerly Incarcerated Persons (EEFIP) and offers entrepreneurial programs and training to previously incarcerated citizens returning to Jefferson County, Alabama.

Once he was released, the first thing he did was come to Alabama and enroll in the program. His work in the classroom caught the eye of the job placement and entrepreneurial training coordinator who recommended a job for him in an unusual industry, —waterproofing. Imari absorbed everything about the business and soon started his own waterproofing business, Noah’s Ark, which now serves clients across Birmingham and Jefferson County.

I always had confidence. Believing in yourself, but also having people backing you and believing in you, it helps takes a lot off you, a burden off you. Sometimes people need some backing behind them, and they offered that at the Dannon Project.

Some people would call it a success story but I’m just scratching the surface. I want to greatly thank the Department of Labor and MBDA for believing and investing in me. It’s been a great experience up to this point, and my story continues.