This Black Founder Was Born In Prison And Incarcerated At 17, Now He Owns A $20M Company
Lorenzo Lewis, a Black entrepreneur born in prison, has overcome challenges to build a $20 million company focused on mental health advocacy.
Despite facing tremendous challenges, including his own incarceration at 17, Lewis now leads a $20 million company, inspiring others through his story of resilience and success.
From Incarceration to Entrepreneurship
Despite facing difficult circumstances early in life, Lewis pursued higher education, earning degrees in Human Services and Public Administration.
After his release, he founded The Confess Project of America (TCPA), a nonprofit organization aimed at breaking the stigma around mental health in underrepresented communities.
Under his leadership, TCPA grew to train over 1,000 barbers across 40 cities to serve as mental health advocates, reaching nearly 1 million people annually.
“To be honest, as a Black man in America, I never felt seen or heard, let alone celebrated. So that personal experience, shared by many other Black people, was the first thing to inspire me,” Lewis told Forbes in an interview.
Shifting Focus to Business Growth
In September 2024, Lewis stepped down as Founder-in-Residence of TCPA to focus on expanding his for-profit venture, TCP Ventures.
This company oversees two key brands—Confess Health and Confess Schools—that aim to bring mental health training to hospitals and schools nationwide.
A recent $150,000 funding boost from the Signal Fund will help expand TCP Ventures’ reach, targeting an additional 120 million people. Lewis states that the company’s valuation now stands at $20 million.
Lewis remains a board emeritus member of TCPA, with his wife, Jordon Lewis, recently appointed as CEO.
As Lewis transitions to his new role in business, he continues to push for mental health advocacy in Black communities, with plans to scale operations and drive growth across the healthcare and education sectors.
Feature Image Credit: Lorenzo Lewis
