Richard Bronson's path to founding a startup ran through federal prison. In the 1980s he worked at Stratton Oakmont, the brokerage later made infamous by the film 'The Wolf of Wall Street,' and then ran his own small-cap firm. That business brought him success, but also a conviction for securities-law violations. After his release, Bronson found that his record made him effectively unhireable.
Commissary Club, named after the prison store, is his answer. The for-profit platform uses AI to help formerly incarcerated people find jobs, housing, and benefits, and adds a social layer meant to reduce the isolation of reentry. Bronson describes it as 'almost like Facebook,' with additional features for referrals and dating.
The startup is still a two-person operation: Bronson and co-founder Roman Kissin, a former LexisNexis CTO. It offers the first ten job applications free, then charges $149 for a pack of ten or $14.99 each. Bronson acknowledges the price may be steep for people just out of prison, but he sees a large, neglected market. Commissary Club was selected for TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield 200.