(building instrumental music)

[Narrator] There's a tech incubator

inside the least likely place on earth. San Quentin Prison.

We don't have computers here,

much less access to the internet.

But we're learning to be entrepreneurs

and founding our own companies through a program called

The Last Mile.

In San Quentin Prison,

there can be no access to the internet.

Not only that, a lot of these inmates have been incarcerated

for 10, 20 or more years, and have never seen the internet.

San Quentin is a pretty surreal place.

It's out of a movie that's not like

a modern institution in any way, shape of form.

There's such a fear around

giving inmates access to technology

that has really caused the system to totally stagnate.

There are a lot of people in the prison system

that have an entrepreneurial spirit,

but they just use it in the wrong way.

(door unlocking)

(door slamming)

[Narrator] Over the course of six months,

we each come up with a tech business idea

and create a business plan.

For our final projects, we present our companies

in front of a live audience.

Most of us have never done anything like this before.

This event is called Demo Day.

We start prepping for Demo Day three months out.

We're gonna do our pitches.

There's a diverse group here

that are all successful Silicon Valley folks.

They're gonna give you some feedback.

These are all passion projects for you right?

So, really start to take it from here to here

as you're presenting. Alright (claps).

When I got to prison, and I was like

What are you gonna do?.

You committed voluntary manslaughter,

you shot and killed someone. No one's gonna hire you.

So, I knew that I'd have to become self-employed.

I want to bring back the sense of the community,

and I think health and wellness is the right way to do it,

because it gets people thinking about their future

and about life.

The leading cause of obesity, within low income communities,

is a lack of access to healthy food choices.

Feedback on Healthy Hearts,

I could see you working on your delivery

and you're almost there.

(uplifting music)

We were practicing the pitch over and over,

refining every sentence, every word.

Bubble Cuts is definitely not my father's barber shop,

and here's why. (trails off)

It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, pick it up.

And how to just say something that really resonates

and is a story that you're taking people through.

It was 12 years ago,

that my addiction to drugs and alcohol

spiraled out of control,

and led me to a life sentence in prison.

Friends of mine stole a suitcase full of marijuana

out of my apartment. I stabbed and murdered 'em.

For the past 14 years was figuring out

how do I got to that place.

I had disconnected myself from society,

and disconnected myself from myself

through the use of drugs and alcohol.

This would become the turning point

that motivated me to stop using,

and start looking to fitness for a new way of life.

Hello, my name is Chris Schumacher

and I am the founder and CEO of Fitness Monkey.

This world of technology has been passing me by.

In a lot of ways I feel like Fred Flintstone,

and the Jetsons are just moving right by me.

What are some ways that you could see

a formerly incarcerated returning citizen get back out there

and start supporting the millennial generation wave.

Somebody who comes out of a place like this,

and survives this, and has their sense of values

and sense about them, is a highly inspirational human being

that has a lot of things to teach and share.

What connected with you personally, to say

You know what? It's not only my duty,

it's my responsibility to reach back here to my community.

It's what I wanna do because I know the bad rap they get.

[Darnell] But what makes that a want?

What makes that ...

Because they look at me the same way they look at you.

And I got money. I went to schools better than them.

But it doesn't matter.

I should be scared of them taking my wallet,

but instead when I walk down the street

they grab their purses and run from me.

If you walked out of my house and went to the left,

two doors down my sister and brother here are both dead.

If you walked out of the door and went to the right,

everybody in that block went to Dartmouth for college,

Harvard for business school. I went to the right.

So what made you choose the right ...

Because there was somebody in my life,

who cared enough to listen and talk to me.

My passion for studying and getting an education

didn't start until I realized for the first time in my life,

that my father really had no concern for me.

I was participating in a crime and kidnap robbery

with my father.

I participated in his crimes,

actually to start a relationship with him.

My father and I were actually cell mates.

I had to really evalsuate myself.

Do I want to spend the rest of my life in prison

and accomplish nothing like he did?

To me, the internet is like a dream

where you can feel yourself somewhere,

and you're trying to get to a certain place in life,

but yet you can have the power to do anything

and have access to anybody in the world.

I have never been on the internet.

Never used a laptop or a computer.

[Chris R] All of the guys participate in social media.

That voice has become so powerful.

They all write out their blogs, their answers on Quora,

their tweets, and we have volunteers

that upload and publish them.

(slow thoughtful music)

The good thing that I realize about the internet,

is we have the opportunity to dispel myths.

The biggest myth is that we are monsters.

We are people just like them who have either been hurt,

we say Hurt people hurt people, but we have this motto

that we say Heal people heal people.

The only way you ever stay engaged,

and stay head of the curve, is to share ideas with people.

Just like when you came here,

it opened up a whole new world to you.

When I found out about The Last Mile,

I'm like That's the program. That's my way forward.

Chris himself interviewed me.

I looked him straight in the eye and I said

Even if I don't get in,

I would still love to be part of The Last Mile.

Because after spending seven years and eight months

in a system that is so woefully broken,

this is the best program I have ever seen

for anyone who's incarcerated.

Because a lot of incarcerated guys really do

have the aptitude for being able to be entrepreneurs,

but if you don't present to them

what the idea of entrepreneurship is,

then you miss a great opportunity.

I met someone who was doing mentoring.

She said Well, you wanna come in?.

So, I went in and I thought Well, I'll so my 30 minutes

and I'll get the hell out.

I was there for about two and a half hours.

The hands started shooting in the air, asking questions,

and that's when I realized there are a lot of guys

in here with talent and dedication and focus

and all the things that we look for in entrepreneurs.

They're sitting right here in front of me.

My head was spinning as I was driving home thinking,

It would really make sense

if we could start a technology incubator inside prison.

I said No way.

She said No f-ing way am I going into prisons.

I did some research about recidivism,

and what the spending is in California on prisons.

If someone's incarcerated for 20 years

it's not hard to do the math, that's a million bucks.

And the rate of recidivism is over 60 percent.

So we believe, that if we can reduce recidivism

by just five percent, over the next 10 years alone

we could save California billions of dollars.

I initially was looking at it because of the numbers,

till I had a chance to meet the men and realize

that giving back makes me feel whole.

And that's what drives us to keep going and keep doing it.

I was an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.

That served as my third strike.

I was in prison at 25 years of age,

with a 25 to life sentence.

I spent the first five years of my prison sentence

in deep, deep denial about the role that I played

in getting myself in prison.

It was everybody else's fault but my own,

and I start thinking that I can literally die in prison.

I can die in prison.

And so I started making some really fundamental

changes in my life. More importantly,

what I could do in the community that I lived in,

which at the time was prison.

In 2011, we launched The Last Mile at San Quentin.

July 3rd of 2013, I was released from prison.

[Videographer] Say your first five words.

Thank you God. It is so good to be free again.

That's more than five. Thank you. I'm ready.

(slow thoughtful music)

The Last Mile, starts on the inside

but then carries over on the outside.

And that's really, really important. The support system.

We named it The Last Mile really

because this transition from inside to outside,

this is the most difficult part of incarceration.

We sort of took it from technology where,

the last mile is how platforms sort of plug into usage.

That integration is so difficult

and the highest amount of recidivism is

within the first six months of release.

And that's really why it's called The Last Mile.

The challenge that they set in The Last Mile

is to do something that involves technology,

something they love and something that gives back.

I made a bunch of bad decisions growing up.

I had a brother shot and killed.

A couple of first cousins shot and killed.

I want to bring some health back into the community.

I want to get people to see the strength in them,

to say Look, you are strong. That's your health.

You know, health is wealth.

We had a great moment with Ray

when we had got to the point where he had to produce

the content that would describe the services

in his entire company.

And I remember him just looking at me and going

Oh, we've got to make all of that and we have, a week?

But do you know what? It was amazing. He did it.

[Chris R] Eddie was one that really struggled

with his business plan.

I want to create a nonprofit that provides musical,

general educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth.

Chris had told me to go with something

that you're passionate with,

and then he asked me what that was,

and I told him that it was jazz.

Whether it's through the melancholy moods of Miles Davis,

or though the sheets of sounds of John Coltrane,

I want people to feel my passion.

I got out of prison and Chris asked me if I wanted

to pursue the coding. I hadn't used a computer,

so there was quite a bit that I had to learn.

It's almost like the Wizard of Oz.

Remember the guy that was behind the curtain?

He was controlling all of this stuff,

nobody knew who he was or whatever

but his work was being felt outside.

[Narrator] After refining our ideas

and crafting our presentations,

we take to the stage to pitch our new companies.

We have five minutes to convince an audience of VCs

and fellow convicts, that our idea could become the next big

Silicon Valley startup.

(upbeat hopeful music)

I would say 98 percent plus of the guys that present,

have never presented to any audience before.

And all of a sudden they're presenting to 350 people,

many venture capitalists.

At our first Demo Day we had the Governor's Wife

and the head of prisons,

and half the audience are their brothers inside.

So, it really presents an opportunity,

but it's also very daunting.

(upbeat hopeful music)

I want to welcome you to the third Last Mile Demo Day

here at San Quentin State Prison.

(audience applause)

As they acquire clean time,

members will earn invitations to fitness events

where they can share in the experience, strength

and hope of other members, and become part of the

recovery revolution of the Fitness Monkey.

(audience applause) Thank You.

My name is Raymond Ho, and I am the CEO of Gimme.

Gimme, let's you take a picture of what you want

or use an existing image.

The app will then process and compare that image

against our database of online retailers.

Demo Day was phenomenal. MC Hammer was there.

We had a super fun time.

Because your shopping future is as easy as

See it! Snap it! Gimme it!. Thank you.

(audience applause)

I got a little carried away at the end of my demo,

did a little dance and jig.

I challenged MC Hammer to a dance off.

I don't think he had time. I was too smooth for him.

(laughs)

Intervention Outlet is an urban field mentoring service,

for youth and parents willing to engage

and accept assistance with PTSD. Thank you and God bless.

(audience applause)

Recently I just has a successful parole hearing,

where I may be possibly paroling within the next 90 days.

They looked at my business plan that I offered them,

and they looked at all of the slides

that I had with my pitch and because of those things,

they felt that the parole plans were valid.

And my support system guys out there like Heracio Harts,

Eddie Griffin and Kenyatta Leal was a solid foundation.

So I have to get some computer training and I will

also be taking a coding class once I'm released as well.

(upbeat hopeful music)

I am so nervous.

Oh my God!

Look at your dog trying to bit me.

(laughs) Hiiii!

How you doing?

Oh my God, I can't believe this is for real.

I feel loved, I feel appreciated, I don't feel tense.

I'm with my family, I'm with my loved ones,

I'm with my wife, I'm with friends that care for me.

I'm with job opportunities,

I'm with an opportunity to have a better future.

I'm home.

Alright, so Mr. Hill, say your first five words,

out here on this side of the wall.

My first five words is, I thank God for everything.

And we gotta get out of the way for this bus.

A lot of the work that we're doing,

all of us that are out, is to help create opportunities

for our brothers and sisters that are leaving

those incarcerated settings,

and making sure that they're alright,

and that we're moving forward together.

I've been fortunate enough to work for a company called

Rocket Space and earn a position there that allowed me

to bring on another fellow Last Mile graduate.

We're really excited to have Caleb aboard with us.

We have this thing called the Freedom Trail

where we'll hike together.

It's on Mt. Tam, which overlooks San Quentin

so you literally see where you were.

I know that Chris and Beverly, one day they want to retire

and they need somebody that is willing to step up

and take this thing forward.

I want to be one of those people.

The Last Mile began in San Quentin in 2010, as a test.

Today, I'm going to let the results speak for themselves.

Back at San Quentin for the first time since his release

in July 2013, to share his stories, ladies and gentlemen,

Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal. (audience applause)

Thank you so much for coming out today

and supporting this program.

I'd also like to congratulate the Last Mile class of 2014.

(audience applause)

Last year at this time I had a life sentence,

lived in 4 North 29 low, and was referred to as H10983.

Today, I'm helping bring the future to market

as a team leader of campus services at Rocket Space.

There's a whole world of opportunities out there,

don't let anybody tell you different man.

I just want to leave you all with that, God bless you,

I love you, and stay strong.

And keep it moving forward ever, backward never.

(audience applause)

[Inmate] Love you man.

Alright man, I'll see you all later man.

[Inmates] Hey you all stay up man. We will.

(bright uplifting music)