A startup founder who served time in prison is looking to court an untapped market: ex-cons
Entrepreneur Richard Bronson has launched Commissary Club, a social media platform designed to help formerly incarcerated people find jobs, housing, and community.
Entrepreneur Richard Bronson has launched Commissary Club, a social media platform designed to help formerly incarcerated people find jobs, housing, and community. Bronson, a former partner at the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont who served time in federal prison for securities law violations, built the platform based on his own post-prison struggles finding employment.
The startup uses automated technology to help users navigate reentry processes. In addition to employment and housing resources, the platform includes a social network and a referral system to help users combat isolation. The company operates on a for-profit model rather than as a nonprofit. The service is free initially, offering users ten free job applications before charging $14.99 per application or $149 for a bundle of ten.
Bronson runs the two-person startup alongside co-founder and technical lead Roman Kissin, whose past experience includes a stint as chief technology officer at LexisNexis. The platform was selected for the Startup Battlefield 200 competition.
The story so far
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Original publication: 8 October 2026 22:15
