Jason Wang
Founder & CEO
FreeWorld
San Jose, CA USA
“When we learn how to forgive not only others but ourselves, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationJason Wang
01:35
Jason Wang Highlight07:20
Interview01:31
Aiming To End Mass Incarceration02:38
Working Toward Criminal Justice Reform00:49
The Power Of Forgiveness02:12
My Experience Being Formerly Incarcerated00:59
Learning Resilience From The Streets01:46
Change Financial Incentives To Help End Mass Incarceration01:17
Day In The Life As CEO Of A Nonprofit Organization
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
My parents were immigrants and we really struggled financially—my father internalized those struggles and took it out through abuse on me.
My parents divorced and I moved with my mom to Texas and ended up joining a gang—this led to me being arrested at 15 years old and sent to a maximum security juvenile prison on a 12 year sentence.
While incarcerated, I testified in front of the State Senate on criminal justice reform, which springboarded me into a national conversation—I essentially became the face of juvenile justice in Texas.
When I was released, I got a full-ride scholarship to the University of Texas at Dallas, where I earned my bachelor’s degree and a double master’s degree.
Despite my degrees, I found that my criminal record still barred me from finding a job—people still saw me as the worst mistake I had made rather than the person that I was.
Through help from mentors, I was able to find some jobs in things like management consulting, but I found it very difficult to adapt to the corporate world.
I realized that there were probably others like me facing the same struggles, so I started doing research to find ways to connect formerly incarcerated people to career opportunities.
In 2018, I founded FreeWorld, a nonprofit organization with a mission to end generational poverty and recidivism by helping formerly incarcerated people into high-wage jobs.
Keep following my journey
Education
Bachelor
Global Business
The University of Texas at Dallas
Global Business
The University of Texas at Dallas
Graduate
International Business/Trade/Commerce
The University of Texas at Dallas
International Business/Trade/Commerce
The University of Texas at Dallas
Graduate
Accounting and Finance
The University of Texas at Dallas
Accounting and Finance
The University of Texas at Dallas
Career
Founder & CEO
I lead a nonprofit organization that aims to end mass incarceration through high wage careers and asset ownership.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Entrepreneurship
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People
Day to Day
Now that we're in year three of operation, my role is about scaling. While the organization was funded by a board of directors previously, we're now raising external capital. My day to day primarily revolves around fundraising so that we can scale our model around the country.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Parents:
"You're worthless. You'll never amount to anything."
Challenges I Overcame
Family Stress
Racial Discrimination
Gangs / Violence
