We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Porshe Taylor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Porshe below.

Porshe , appreciate you joining us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

My job is to offer rehabilitation to people who are incarcerated and to extend those resources to the people in community who are impacted by the criminal justice system. This is don’t through my nonprofit organization Prisonftio.org This work, although much needed, is underfunded and most nonimpacted community members lack empathy for this population. Therefore we see several passionate advocacy organizations doing the work struggling to achieve grants and also failing to garnish community donations on an ongoing basis

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Porshe Taylor is the founder and visionary of Prison From-TheInside-Out, Inc. As a community leader and advocate, Porshe has partnered with various organizations, including the state partner S.T.O.P. and she is a founding member of California Impacted Families Project: A Coalition of organizations and families directly impacted by the criminal justice system.
In early 2019 Porshe went on a 2 year cleanse. She gave up all toxins and focused solely on her relationship with God. This allowed Porshe to receive a message from God while she slept and as a result of that night’s encounter, she gave birth to FTIO, a 501 c3 nonprofit providing services to people impacted by incarceration. Starting with just a website, Porshe followed God’s Instruction and began building her organization.
Porshe is now the first Black woman to create a nonprofit organization that supplies correctional institutions with innovative and rehabilitative curricula that have been approved and funded by the California Department of Rehabilitation (CDCR).
In 2020, Porshe founded Mary Mac Transitional Homes, a sober living community serving San Joaquin County, California, where she operates as the Owner and Executive Director.
As a portfolio entrepreneur, Porshe’s business ventures include drafting state level legislation, specialized consulting services for social justice organizations, commercial janitorial services, and entertainment establishments. In addition, Porshe has a ‘9 to 5’ in public administration, serving one of the most impoverished communities in California for over eight years.
As an African American woman, Porshe is most proud of having founded FTIO, becoming a recipient of multiple Innovative Programming grants funded by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Porshe is committed to reducing recidivism rates, and making the state of California a safe and humane place to live. By providing resources to community members and people who are serving sentences within California’s county jails and state prisons, Porshe is on the fast track to achieving her vision and fulfilling her God given purpose.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Entrepreneurship isn’t the most unique but what my primary business does is. I think what I struggled with for years was fitting into the “Box” of what a nonprofit or any business structure is supposed to look like. I wanted a board that looked normal and that was structured a certain way. Not until I recognized that my organization was unique not only in mission but also in board and the way that we structure our daily work. I had to unlearn the corporate box that most of us tend to chase sometimes unknowingly. Once I released this idea I was able to embrace my team in a different way which nourished their talents and skills.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I started several businesses in 2019. I am a spiritual person and I firmly believe in the power of prayer and the power of manifestation through prayer. During this year I was at the peak of my relationship with God and I could only describe my daily choices as a walk that was being guided by God himself. I prayed first and moved after. In a dream I was given a business idea loud and clear. Branding colors business name. Everything! I of course being obedient to my God started this business and met fast success and popularity. Shortly after I met a young man named Edrick Brown through this business. He explained that he in fact wanted to partner with me on some programs that he had authored. This was not in the plan and had not been shown to be as apart of my business vision. I told Edrick after a few conversations that I would pray on it and that he needed to give me a few days to decide. After about a week. I was confident that God had changed the trajectory of the business that was going so well. I did partner with Edrick and 4 years later I have implemented edricks programs in over 10 prisons in California one in Africa and several states across the US.

Contact Info:

• Website: prisonftio.org
• Instagram: prisonftio_inc
• Facebook: Prisonftioinc
• Twitter: prisonftio_inc
• Youtube: @prisonftio_inc