"Glazier is the CEO of Defy Ventures, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit running entrepreneurship training programs in prisons across eight states. And twice now, I've tagged along at Defy events, including a New York coaching day and a California pitch competition. As you might expect, there are all sorts of rules in prison: first names only, no promises, no asking 'what you're in for,' high-fives and fist bumps. But I'd argue there's one rule that matters above the others: That this is fundamentally humanizing."
""When you walk into a Defy class, the first thing we're expressing to you is that you're a human with unique gifts and talents," said Glazier, who's run the organization since the founder's departure in 2018. "You're no longer 'inmate number blank.' You're now an entrepreneur-in-training. What do you want to do?" Entrepreneur-in-training (or EIT) is an important turn of phrase at Defy-there are no "convicts" or "inmates," just EITs and volunteers."
Andrew Glazier leads Defy Ventures, a Los Angeles nonprofit that runs entrepreneurship training programs in prisons across eight states. Prison sessions use strict protocols—first names only, no promises, no asking 'what you're in for,' and noncontact greetings—to create a humanizing environment. Participants are designated entrepreneurs-in-training (EITs) rather than inmates and work with volunteers. Curriculum emphasizes business fundamentals applicable to lawful enterprises: cash management, followership, marketing, inventory management, and operations. The program reframes existing informal hustles into formal ventures and uses pitching and coaching to cultivate customer-focused, sustainable business plans. Many EIT pitches demonstrate strong market clarity and practical execution plans.
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