7 ms·
This really bums me out. I was a convicted felon at 18 years old, poor, living on the street. It wasn't any government re-integration program that helped me,
by buf 4y ago
This really bums me out.
I was a convicted felon at 18 years old, poor, living on the street.
It wasn't any government re-integration program that helped me, it was a random person I met in highschool.
I worked my way through everything -> college -> jobs -> startups -> lucky windfalls -> owning my own company. I've immigrated to Europe (3 times in the last 10 years technically), beating the legal issues each time.
And finally, after 17 years, I'm no longer a felon thanks to a pardon and expungement.
I really wish something like 70MR would stay up. Not everyone can be as lucky as me. Is there some place I can donate?
- WheelsAtLarge 4y agoIt's your type of understanding and fervor that's needed for a 70MR to move forward. Have you considered taking it over? Think about it. Sometimes you're the solution.
- samstave 4y ago
- buf 4y agoI haven't considered taking it over until your comment just now. I've always told myself I'd write a book and do some talks at some point in my life, but I've been heads down either trying to survive or building companies that I put it off. Thanks for the idea. Richard, I'll shoot you an email.
- mousetree 4y agoEmail is in the original post: Richard@70MillionJobs.com.
- diydsp 4y agojust a suggestion, but another option is to make a high-quality archive of the business - contacts, software packages used, consultants who worked with them, etc., in order to revive it efficiently if/when the day comes.
- sebastianconcpt 4y agoDefinitively sounds like you have one of the bests existing opportunities to implement the 2.0 of that idea.
- RBBronson123 4y agoI am considering several blockchain approaches.
- scoggs 4y agoI will help you.
- jayceekay 4y agoi'd also help! (backend swe)
- sam_goody 4y agoIf you do go through with this, you can get quite a bit of competent volunteer work, especially from potential beneficiaries and retired programmers. Post to HN if this moves forward and you want volunteers / low paid staff - currently I dn't know how you find thsiad volunteers when you are finally ready.
- RBBronson123 4y agoThank you.
- RBBronson123 4y agothx!
- RBBronson123 4y agoThanks for the offer.
- johnebgd 4y agoCount me in to help. I have a knack for making the impossible possible. I’ve mentored EIT’s through Defy in the past. If you need clients I expect corp to corp agreements with established recruitment agencies would be a good place to start generating revenues.
- RBBronson123 4y agoThanks for your kind offer to help.
- WheelsAtLarge 4y agoGlad I could help. I know it won't be a breeze but I would hope that at the very least the job board continues. I'm sure there are plenty of people that will find it very helpful now and in the future. You've gone thru many of the difficulties associated with the situation and have risen above them. There are very few people with the experience needed to help others given the same circumstances. I wish you the best!
- RBBronson123 4y agoHey Wheels-thanks for sharing your positive thoughts. We had 2 business lines: our job board and our staffing business. The job board is very low touch, although it does require dedicated personnel driving employer acquisition. But the tech side is easy. By far, the bigger business is the staffing company, and it requires lots of people to land large corporate accts and service them day-to-day and drive job-seeker acquisition. People are expensive, as you know.
- WheelsAtLarge 4y agoI think you are doing some important work. I'm pretty sure that there's a need for your services. It's just hard to keep it going with all the economic turbulence we've had these past years. I would hope that at the very least the job board continues. It would be a big loss to have it all disappear. I wish you all the best!
- notch656a 4y agoEmigration honestly is the most logical option for a felon. A few nations will accept local background checks in the immigration process, so if you move to a state where you don't have a record you can just get your police report from a place where your record is clean. Another option is to go live in a Compact of Free Association nations such as Micronesia or Marshall Islands. US citizens are authorized to live and work there without a visa, so once you live overseas there for a few years you can immigrate to most other nations using the background check from your country of prior residence, which is now a country where you have a clear background.
- comprev 4y agoIt also opens up an opportunity to hit the big reset button of life. A new country, new culture, new friends and even new languages in many cases. People have the opportunity to become a new person, and it's not just those with a criminal past either. Perhaps those who have experienced persecution can also start a new chapter in a safer environment.
- withinboredom 4y agoIn my case it was a credit score. I was in a bad motorcycle accident at 19, I defaulted on every loan at the time (vehicle + credit cards + medical debt) while I was busy learning how to walk again. 15 years later, I still couldn’t get a credit card for more than $250, told no to getting a mortgage even with a VA loan, etc. My credit score couldn’t get higher than 600 even after those defaults fell off my record. Now, I live in Europe and am trusted with thousands of Euros in debt if I want it. I can get a house without any issues… That’s a fresh start that just simply was impossible in the US.
- hellotomyrars 4y agoSimilar story for me, but in my case I was an idiot with undiagnosed and untreated mental illness and a $20,000 line of credit for no good reason. Blew through a ton of money and wasn’t making much either. Ended up saddled with medical debt after an accident. Medical debt has been erased but the others are still on top of me. I don’t need anything in the near future credit wise though it would be nice to have a line of credit in case of emergencies.
- omginternets 4y agoI really hope you, or someone else, takes another stab at this project when the economic winds shift. It's a worthwhile endeavor.
- bitcoinmoney 4y agoWhat crime were you convicted of?
- themitigating 4y agoDoes it matter? He served his time and/or paid a fine. If he didn't meet the random friend in HS it would be ridiculous hard to get a job.
- tekknik 4y agoNo, but it’s still a curiosity. Why are you so defensive?
- themitigating 4y agoWhy would you want information that has no value in the discussion?
- tekknik 4y agoAgain, for curiosity.
- RBBronson123 4y agoI worked on Wall St (actually had my own firm), and committed securities violations. I was stone guilty. Paid everyone back, but I had it coming. Lost everything: family, friends, all my considerable possessions, my freedom (fed prison for a couple of years). When I was released, I was destitute and homeless. But I discovered my calling in life: helping my brothers and sisters in and out of prison so that they might have the opportunity to lead a safe and productive life.
- RBBronson123 4y agoHey Buf-thanks for sharing your feelings and your kind words of support. And congrats for kicking ass in your release. A number of people have asked about donating, but frankly, I don't feel right about accepting charity. We'll get through this, and I will continue pursuing my life's work. Thank you again for your big heart. Richard
- buf 4y agoThanks Richard. I feel so honored having worked on 3 unicorns, one of which I helped start. It's been instrumental in my companies that I run now. If you're not comfortable with a cash donation, perhaps I can volunteer my time, or just be another inbox you hit up when you need to bounce an idea off someone.
- carapace 4y ago> I don't feel right about accepting charity. Maybe think of it this way? There are those of us who want to help but for whatever reasons can only feasibly do so though donations, if you were to accept our charity it would allow us to be part of the solution even if only a little. In any event, may God bless you and may you succeed beyond your wildest dreams.