30-to-life and pitching a startup

• Inmate: Harry Hemphill
• Sentence: 20 years

Previously an engineer at Volvo and Yamaha, Hemphill struggled with drug addiction, eventually ending up behind bars for 20 years.

"As I prepare to return to my community, it's clear I need to start over," Hemphill said. "I believe and I hope you believe that life is about second chances."

It's that sentiment that inspired the idea for Catapult, a training and staffing company that would teach people tech skills that could land them a job. Calling on his own experience, Hemphill wants to connect the growing need for software developers with the growing population of incarcerated individuals who will be looking for work when they leave prison.

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