35: Winning Against All Odds + Cultivating Black Male Entrepreneurs with Frederick Hutson of Pigeonly

Frederick is the CEO and founder of Pigeonly, a platform that makes it easy for people to search, find and communicate with an incarcerated loved one.

A born entrepreneur, Frederick launched and sold his first business at the age of 19. His desire to attain the American dream on his terms took him down the wrong path and at 23, he was indicted for distributing 3,000 kg of marijuana. It was during this four-year federal prison sentence a new idea surfaced, one that would give him an opportunity to impact the lives of people no one else was paying attention to – inmates, Pigeonly was born.

Pigeonly’s technology cuts the cost of expensive prison calls by 80% and allows people to send their inmate photos, greeting cards, and more right from a cell phone, tablet or computer. Although the company is still young, Hutson has grown Pigeonly to become one of the largest independent inmate service providers in the country.

DURING THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSSED:

• Journey from prison to entrepreneurship
• The state of Black males in entrepreneurship
• Why being disciplined matters
• How to build your team starting with your network

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Solo Funds
• From Good to Great x Jim Collins

STAY CONNECTED:

Frederick:  Website | Instagram | Twitter

Black to Business:  Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook