IN THIS POST
Georgetown University’s Pivot Program is a highly selective full-time business and entrepreneurship-oriented certificate program, designed for individuals returning to the community after a period of incarceration. Joel Smith was a 2025 Pivot Fellow, and spent this spring with REDF, focusing on building up our strategic expertise to support individuals with justice involvement.
I did not come to REDF for a paycheck. I came for something more challenging to earn: meaningful network experience and a space to make an impact.Â
REDF is an organization with a mission, yes. But more than that, it is made of people who carry that mission in the marrow of their bones. John gave me Wharton business lessons over paper cups of coffee and philosophical debates over fish tacos. If you ever want to build an ecosystem of ESE leaders, just make sure the WiFi is strong, the coffee’s hot, and the tacos are fish. The rest will follow.
From the beginning, I asked my REDF program sponsor, Lauren, to be my champion — not paraphrasing, I said those exact words, not knowing then how fully she would rise to that. In every meeting, every moment of encouragement, she didn’t just open doors; she reminded me why my mind mattered. In a world that so often measures people by output or title, she made sure I knew I was already enough.
Lauren brought the kind of clarity that cannot be taught. Her presence, steady and insightful, made space for me to think more deeply. John showed me that strategy doesn’t mean detachment. Sarah reminded me that heart and hustle are not mutually exclusive.
I even had the chance to speak with REDF’s CEO, Maria. When I told her I wanted to be an ESE leader and work with REDF, she said yes, with the kind of tone that tells you it wasn’t just permission, it was belief and anticipation.
To be seen and heard, not for performance but for perspective, is a radical thing. It transforms you. In this world, too many people are taught to shrink themselves to fit into rooms never built for them. But REDF, through its people, expanded the room. It welcomed my thoughts, asked for more, and taught me that I don’t need to wait for permission, I just need to speak.
Now, as my internship ends, I do not feel like something is over. I feel like something has begun. Through this internship, I got the chance to work with Rise Up Industries, and I feel proud of creating a value proposition for a company with such a real mission. I’m looking forward to doing more consulting for other mission-driven companies. I’m eager to teach small and large business owners about employment social enterprises (ESEs). Many organizations are already ESEs but have never heard the term. I look forward to watching their faces light up when I call them ESEs for the first time and I can’t wait to see the look on their faces when I tell them about REDF and the Accelerator and how to get involved.
REDFers are special. Not the names on the wall, but the people: Lauren, John, Yodit, Stephanie, Sarah Burns, and Saaleha. They are the ones who made it real. I once read that people don’t remember what happened, just how it made them feel. REDF made me feel worthy, and I will carry that forward with me, professionally and personally.
