Barbed Wire to Business: A Second-Chance Pitch That’s Changing Lives

Photo: The PEP team members behind the event who have helped so many participants to reach their goals over the past 20 years.

By Kat Balster 

In this version of the popular television show “Shark Tank” there is no reality TV script, and the sharks don’t bite. There are just real business owners, men who were once behind bars, presenting to a panel of seasoned investors who serve more as mentors than as critics. The Prison Entrepreneurship (PEP)’s Barbed Wire to Business (B2B) pitch competition may be modeled after a television show, but what’s at stake is more than a financial investment.

“It was fulfilling for all the volunteers to see my journey come full circle,” said Nick Hartline, the winner of last year’s B2B contest and the keynote speaker for the April 29 event. “They saw my business plan on the inside, and now they see it thriving on the outside.”

Real Businesses, Real Impact

Held in Houston, this year’s event featured three standout contestants, who each presented their vision, values and growth strategy to a panel of three executive “sharks.” Their businesses weren’t hypothetical; they were real, profitable companies that had been shaped by a personal story of transformation.

Anthony Beyo, founder of United Exterior Inc., was the first to present to the sharks. A ten-year Army combat veteran, Beyo built his home renovation company in Tampa from the ground up, doubling revenue in year one, then again in year two and now pulling in more than $21 million in sales between his two offices. He was seeking the grant to expand his company into Texas.

“What I’ve learned is that when you chase the sale, you lose quality,” Beyo told the sharks and the audience. “So, I stepped away [from a previous sales role], started over, and built a company that prioritizes honesty, execution and customer satisfaction.”

The sharks pressed Beyo on scalability and how he would manage operations across multiple cities from out of state. Billy Sullivan principal of Sullivan Brothers Family of Companies and a first-time shark, advised: “Look for people you can trust, maybe even another veteran. Empower them to run [a portion of] your business.”

Charles Raimondo took the stage next, presenting his company Bounce Wit It, a bounce house rental company he cofounded with help from his mother, who invested her retirement savings in his vision.

“I represent her in the values and the integrity of our business,” he said.

With detailed projections, safety credentials and a focus on customer satisfaction, Raimondo showed growth of his business by 130% from 2023 to 2025.

“We bring the party,” said Raimondo. “And we do it safely.”

His pitch emphasized that his starting point had been financial freedom, but he realized that in order to expand, he needed to invest in staff, equipment and even some additional offerings.

Steve Menefee closed out the competition with a pitch that went straight to the heart of the event and initiative.

“I started my prison journey just before I turned 17,” Menefee began. “That was 35 years ago.”

Now Menefee runs Meathead Career Centers, a CDL license training and testing school that helps formerly incarcerated people launch careers in transportation.

“When I understood how important and pivotal transportation is to our nation, even our very existence, I felt honored to be a part of it,” Menefee said. “Trucks and trains helped win World War I and World War II. Today, this industry offers immediate second-chance opportunities to returning citizens. It mends a part of society that we often debate how to fix.”

His passion is fueled by faith and perseverance as well as an understanding of his calling.

“The most challenging part of building my business plan and following through was ignoring the noise in the background, the naysayers,” said Menefee. “When God gives you a vision, we can’t always expect the world to see it as vividly as we do. He didn’t give it to them. Keep going!”

More Than a Pitch

Each of the presenters graduated from PEP’s in-prison “mini-MBA” and post-release eSchool program. Their ideas had been vetted by Entre Capital, PEP’s CDFI and the only lender in the U.S. that is exclusively serving entrepreneurs who have been justice-impacted.

The program’s process is extremely rigorous; the participants build and refine their plans over months, receiving mentorship and ultimately delivering a high-stakes pitch that can result in the funding of their dreams.

“These men aren’t just business owners,” said Kimberly Williams, one of the sharks and the founder of Proper Perspective 360. “They are leaders, planting seeds in humanity that will outlive the business.”

The sharks weren’t just evaluating profit margins. They were weighing character, vision and the potential for impact.

“Americans love an underdog story,” said Sullivan. “If these guys use their past the right way, they can set themselves apart to grow something meaningful.”

And the program works. More than 700 businesses have been launched by graduates of program, which also boasts a 10% recidivism rate for participants—far below the national average of approximately 50%. Much of that success can be attributed to the fact that participants have a 100% employment rate within 90 days of their release.

For more information about the Prison Entrepreneurship Program and this year’s Barbed Wire to Business competition, read the full recap in the 2025 Regional Edition of Correctional News.