Welcome to our Changemakers of 2024. We’re all about celebrating the awe-inspiring journey of women who fearlessly step into the spotlight, transforming their passion projects into dynamic enterprises that leave a lasting impact on their communities. Today, we’re sharing Emily O’Brien’s story, scroll through to read all about her journey.
Like most people, I never imagined myself being incarcerated. At age 26, I was sentenced to four years in federal prison for smuggling narcotics into Canada. On paper, they only saw me as a criminal. They didn’t care as to how or why it happened. I went from being someone that had lived for 26 years contributing to the world in positive ways to being a criminal in under 24 hours.
It was actually looking back on my life that was the foundation of my comeback-and essentially spurred me to help others make comebacks too.
So in order to make a comeback and be a changemaker, it starts from within. I had to change things about myself, like the certain behaviors and beliefs that got me into this mess in the first place. Be a changemaker for yourself and it will lead to helping to be a changemaker for others people, and in my case, other systems as well. Once I believed I could change myself, I went to change the stigma around the formerly incarcerated. It started with popcorn kernels and stamps, and also passion and purpose. I knew that everyone I met in prison deserved another chance, just like I began to believe in myself. We fight for second chances- most specifically via second chance hiring, but more broadly for second chances at life. We’ve all made mistakes, but we all deserve second chances. Chances lead to comebacks, and comebacks lead to sustained change.
