Business Development Turns Second Chances into Winning Moves!
THE STORY BEHIND BBB
How It Started
Wendy Oliveras (aka Miss Wendy)
Wendy Oliveras (aka Miss Wendy)
For ten years, I taught life skills and entrepreneurship inside a New Jersey corrections facility. That transformative experience inspired my third book, Checkmate for the Inmate: From Bars to Business, and ultimately led me to launch Business Beyond Bars — an initiative dedicated to helping individuals seize second chances, thrive into w
For ten years, I taught life skills and entrepreneurship inside a New Jersey corrections facility. That transformative experience inspired my third book, Checkmate for the Inmate: From Bars to Business, and ultimately led me to launch Business Beyond Bars — an initiative dedicated to helping individuals seize second chances, thrive into wealth, and build lasting success through our consulting services. FOREWORD: James E. McGreevey, Former Governor of New Jersey, Executive Director, Chairman, NJ Reentry Corporation
Wendy Oliveras (aka Miss Wendy)
Wendy Oliveras (aka Miss Wendy)
Wendy Oliveras (aka Miss Wendy)
Wendy Oliveras is a New Jersey–based author, business consultant, and avid chess player with years of experience in small business development and leadership training. She is the founder of Business Beyond Bars, an initiative that provides bilingual consulting services to empower formerly incarcerated individuals, returning citizens, vete
Wendy Oliveras is a New Jersey–based author, business consultant, and avid chess player with years of experience in small business development and leadership training. She is the founder of Business Beyond Bars, an initiative that provides bilingual consulting services to empower formerly incarcerated individuals, returning citizens, veterans, and women as they rebuild their lives through strategic thinking and entrepreneurship. Wendy is a dedicated advocate for second chances and community-based solutions that create real paths to success.
Community Partners
Wendy Oliveras (aka Miss Wendy)
Community Partners
We’ve partnered with top New Jersey schools, financial lenders, and community organizations to create real opportunities for justice-impacted individuals through our business beyond bars initiative. By focusing on personal growth, chess-based strategy, and entrepreneurship education, we provide bilingual consulting services that empower p
We’ve partnered with top New Jersey schools, financial lenders, and community organizations to create real opportunities for justice-impacted individuals through our business beyond bars initiative. By focusing on personal growth, chess-based strategy, and entrepreneurship education, we provide bilingual consulting services that empower people to step into their next chapter with confidence. Our mission is to support reentry and offer second chances, helping individuals achieve stability, find purpose, and build real independence, so they can thrive and uplift their families and communities.
OUR GROWTH & EXPANSION
Scaling impact across communities and states
Business Beyond Bars is built to scale impact. Our next phase focuses on expanding access and strengthening long-term outcomes through:
- Statewide programming with multi-site delivery across New Jersey
- A Train-the-Trainer Program to certify partners, facilitators, and community leaders
- A licensing model for partner organizations in other states
- Building an alumni venture incubator pipeline to support business launch and growth
- Expanding into national partnerships to increase funding, opportunities, and reach
If your organization is committed to second chances and sustainable reentry outcomes, we invite you to connect with us to explore partnership and program expansion opportunities.
