Washington, D.C., December 15, 2021 – The Flikshop School of Business, an entrepreneurship and coding training center helping those formerly incarcerated, announced today it is partnering with WeWork (NYSE: WE), one of the leading global flexible space providers. As the exclusive workplace partner to Flikshop School of Business, WeWork will provide space for the organization’s current cohort of 10 scholars, most of whom are returning citizens, as they learn the skills needed for a successful entrance into the workforce and to build technology-based businesses.
Founded in 2016 by justice reform advocate, public speaker, entrepreneur and former WeWork Labs Entrepreneur-in-Residence Marcus Bullock, Flikshop School of Business aims to expose its students to entrepreneurship and prepare them with workforce readiness skills.
Its instructors, who collectively have more than 30 years of experience building revenue-generating businesses, leverage their own experiences both in the prison system and in entrepreneurship to help cohort members build sustainable businesses. In addition, Flikshop’s learning model includes guest entrepreneur teachers and gamification to create a comradeship and competitively-driven curriculum, and engages community leaders, trainers and entrepreneurs into its classrooms to assist in training and preparing students for a successful entrance into the workforce.
“Flikshop School of Business is committed to helping members of our community who don’t typically have opportunities, access or social capital receive those very things,” said Marcus Bullock, CEO. “More than 150 entrepreneurs have gone through our program, which we use to prepare them with two mainstays for success: real employment and pride in community ownership. Community is such an important part of the puzzle for our scholars, and we’re thrilled to partner with WeWork and be welcomed into its global community.”
“WeWork is proud to partner with the Flikshop School of Business,” said Errol Williams, Territory Vice President. “At WeWork, our purpose is to harness the power of community to make a positive impact on people, and key to that is helping to provide opportunities and space for underserved communities. We are honored to have the Flikshop School of Business into our community and look forward to seeing great work from this cohort.”
Other sponsors for the current Flikshop School of Business cohort include Delta Air Lines. These sponsorships include supporting stipends for scholars that may have a hard time paying for child care or travel expenses as a result of being enrolled in the program, as well as the costs of laptops for the scholars to be able to leverage while learning how to launch their businesses.
“Beyond connecting people to place, we’re in the business of connecting people to each other and to greater opportunities,” said Ashley Black, Delta Air Lines Director – Global Equity Strategies. “Delta has committed to boldly pursue equity and this partnership with Flikshop helps us drive toward that goal by supporting its mission to expose students to entrepreneurship and workforce readiness skills.”
ABOUT FLIKSHOP
Flikshop was founded and based in Washington, DC in 2021 with a mission to help communities stay connected to their incarcerated loved ones. Flikshop customers send photos and messages that are delivered on real postcards in the mail to incarcerated people in over 2,700 state and federal jails and prisons throughout the US. We have connected over 170k families, as well as helped several Fortune 100 companies stay connected to their social mission via sponsorships for Flikshop School of Business. For more information about Flikshop or Flikshop School of Business, please visit us at flikshop.com.
ABOUT WEWORK
WeWork was founded in 2010 with the vision to create environments where people and companies come together and do their best work. Since opening our first location in New York City, we’ve grown into a global flexible space provider committed to delivering technology-driven flexible solutions, inspiring spaces, and community experiences. Today, we’re constantly reimagining how the workplace can help everyone, from freelancers to Fortune 500s, be more motivated, productive, and connected. For more information about WeWork, please visit us at wework.com.
