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Quan Huynh
Bestselling Author - Sparrow in the Razor Wire - Warrior, Magician, & Mountain of Goodness -
Quan Huynh is the Executive Director for Defy Ventures in Southern California, a nonprofit organization that helps people with criminal histories through career readiness, personal development, and entrepreneurship training programs.35 He has a remarkable personal story of transformation:
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Huynh spent 22 years in and out of correctional institutions, including a life sentence for a gang-related murder in Hollywood, California.23
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While incarcerated, he underwent a significant personal change, which he describes in his book "Sparrow in the Razor Wire: Finding Freedom from Within While Serving a Life Sentence".24
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In 2015, Huynh was paroled from his life sentence and started his first company, Jade Janitors, just six months later.34
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He joined Defy Ventures initially as a graduate of their Entrepreneurs in Training (EIT) program and later became a staff member, eventually rising to his current position as Executive Director.15
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Huynh has received recognition for his work, including the Peace Fellowship Award for his involvement with the Alternatives to Violence Project.34
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He has been featured in various media outlets, including Entrepreneur, PBS Newshour, and Talks at Google, sharing his story of redemption and second chances.34
Huynh's journey from incarceration to leadership exemplifies Defy Ventures' mission of helping individuals with criminal histories transform their lives through entrepreneurship and personal development.5
Highlights
As a 2023 LA2050 grantee, Defy Ventures is proud to share that the next round of the LA2050 Grants Challenge is open for all to vote on. Each year, LA2050 gives $1 million to non-profit organizations like ours that are making Los Angeles a better place.
But, they take a unique approach to their grantmaking: they ask Angelenos to vote for the issues they want that $1 million to go to – from homelessness and income inequality to opportunities for the formerly incarcerated.
Defy Ventures also has an opportunity to collect votes from our incarcerated brothers and sisters to make sure they also have a voice in this opportunity! If you have come into prison with us and have seen our work firsthand, you can best support us by placing a vote in the CREATE category for "Opportunities for the Formerly Incarcerated."
Place your votes here: https://lnkd.in/gkjRdmxR
