In Good Company: Building Lasting Foundations with Carl Phinney

We’re on a mission. To build an economy that works. For everyone. 

And we know that the way to get there is to back social entrepreneurs making that vision a reality every day in their communities.

Entrepreneurs like Carl Phinney. 

“There has to be something better. There have to be more opportunities. There has to be something out there for a guy like me.” 

After Carl returned home from prison, those were his first thoughts. But there weren’t a lot of opportunities in his community – so he created them. 

He birthed and built the employment social enterprise Opportunity Construction 10 years ago. Through moments of heartache and happiness, Carl paved a path so others in his community could take a new one. 

To date, Carl’s business has employed over 100 people and provided crucial support, like housing and transportation assistance, as they overcame hardship, seized opportunity, and created a future where they could flourish.

We first met Carl when he was seven years into his entrepreneurial journey. He participated in the REDF Accelerator and joined a national cohort of entrepreneurs building businesses that create opportunities. 

And we’ve continued to back his business with a three-year grant through our Growth Portfolio and loan capital to fuel growth through the REDF Impact Investing Fund. Because we know that when Carl combines his own lived experience of incarceration with the entrepreneurial spirit and drive to give back, it creates transformational change in Steelton, Pennsylvania – and a ripple effect across the country. 

By standing with Carl, we know we’re #InGoodCompany. Learn how you can join us.