Post #285
800 words; 4 minutes to read
By: Emily O’Brien
Audio summary courtesy of volunteer Jada Lam
Summary: Comeback Catalyst is a mentorship program that helps people develop new economic activities after imprisonment.
In Canada, people with criminal records face persistent barriers to employment long after their sentences end. Many remain underemployed or excluded from the labour market altogether, earning far less than the national average and relying more heavily on social assistance. Yet stable, meaningful work is one of the strongest foundations for rebuilding life after incarceration. When traditional employment pathways remain closed, people need real alternatives to move forward.
This is the gap Comeback Catalyst seeks to fill.
Turning Second Chances into New Beginnings
Comeback Catalyst is a non-profit that helps formerly incarcerated individuals across Canada launch their own business. In Canada, the average income for formerly incarcerated individuals is $14,000, far below any poverty line, and Comeback Catalyst aims to address this problem.
Comeback Catalyst is responding to the needs of these individuals by offering them a six-week, skills-based entrepreneurship program designed specifically for individuals who are justice-involved.
The program is open to adults aged 18 and over who reside in Canada, have a history of incarceration, and bring with them a business idea they are committed to pursuing. Participants take part in weekly live online classes led by entrepreneurs with experience across a range of industries. This online format allows flexibility, enabling participants to work, care for family, and meet other responsibilities while still engaging fully in the program.
Each week focuses on a core business skill: building a results-driven business plan, developing a brand and purposeful marketing strategy, budgeting and fundraising, and closing sales and gaining clients. Participants complete one to two hours of independent work per week and receive mentorship support throughout the program to help refine their ideas and strengthen their plans. Just as importantly, they build relationships with peers who share similar lived experiences and with mentors who expand their networks and expectations of what is possible.
Results From Our Cohorts
In 2025, Comeback Catalyst supported 128 participants through our program. While participants entered with different levels of experience and readiness, the outcomes show a consistent pattern: when people are given practical tools, trust, and support, they move forward.
By graduation, 20% had launched or re-launched a business, 26% had acquired customers, and 19% had secured employment or career-advancing opportunities, demonstrating tangible progress. Several participants also reported notable increases in income post-program, with a growing number of 18% reaching $30,000 or more annually, illustrating the economic impact of the program at the individual and community level.
Our one year post program survey is currently being done; these results will be available in our next impact reports.
Participant feedback reinforces these results. Across both cohorts, weekly session NPS ratings averaged above 9 out of 10. Participants consistently highlighted the interactive nature of the program, the value of guest speakers sharing real-world experience, and the importance of learning business fundamentals. Many described a renewed sense of confidence, and a belief in their ability to succeed that had been diminished by past experiences of exclusion.
Several participants earned their first customers during or shortly after completing the program. Others spoke of pride in completing something demanding and future-oriented, and of the importance of being part of a community where their ambitions were taken seriously.
The Team Behind the Work
Comeback Catalyst is led by a founding team that combines entrepreneurial expertise with lived experience of incarceration.
Emily O’Brien, Co-Founder, brings firsthand experience of the challenges of rebuilding after incarceration. While incarcerated, Emily launched Comeback Snacks, a popcorn company that now operates in more than 1,000 retailers across North America. Since her release, she has become an employer and mentor to formerly incarcerated individuals, demonstrating that reintegration can drive innovation, job creation, and economic growth.
Lucy Cullen, Co-Founder and CEO, is a serial entrepreneur and business consultant dedicated to social innovation and economic empowerment. She has built and scaled multiple ventures, including a sustainability consultancy, an eco-conscious consumer brand, and a locally rooted catering company. Lucy has designed and delivered national and international entrepreneurship programs and has supported more than 300 entrepreneurs in building businesses, securing funding, and scaling their impact.
Looking Forward
The early results from Comeback Catalyst point to a simple but powerful insight: entrepreneurship can be a viable and transformative pathway for people returning from incarceration when the right support exists.
Too often, individuals are expected to rebuild their lives while having to navigate stigma, limited access, and structural barriers on their own. Comeback Catalyst is challenging that status quo by investing directly in people’s capacity to build, create, and lead.
As we continue to grow, our goal is to contribute to a broader shift in how we think about life after incarceration, employment, and second chances. When formerly incarcerated people are given the tools to succeed, the benefits extend far beyond individual businesses, strengthening families, communities, and our economy as a whole.
You can view an interview with graduate, Cody here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3SmOkOTtBs
About this blog: The John Howard Canada blog is intended to support greater public understanding of criminal justice issues. Blog content does not necessarily represent the views of the John Howard Society of Canada. All blog material may be reproduced freely for any non-profit purpose as long as the source is acknowledged. We welcome comments (moderated). Contact: blogeditor@johnhoward.ca.
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