Entrepreneurial initiatives grow through experimentation, trust, and the collective efforts of people willing to support an idea as it evolves. The Rio Salado College book club with incarcerated students at Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville is one such example of entrepreneurship in action. The book club originally launched in August 2025 as a weekly, in-person program within the women's prison, designed to create space for discussion and global leadership development. As student engagement deepened, the model intentionally shifted to place students at the center of the experience. Incarcerated students were intentionally paired and trained in facilitation skills, with each team rotating responsibility for leading the weekly chapter-based discussion.
While students led the discussions with strong support from their instructor M. Shawn Harrell, faculty chair Dr. Lily Davidov and Program Director of Incarcerated Re-Entry Lisa Preston supported the initiative by visiting in person once a month. In December 2025, this initiative reached a historic milestone. The program expanded into a virtual format and hosted its first-ever Google Meet session with incarcerated students, allowing the faculty chair to virtually participate directly in the discussion.
This moment marked the first virtual meeting with incarcerated students in the history of Rio Salado College, representing a significant entrepreneurial leap in instructional delivery, access, and collaboration. The successful implementation of this virtual session demonstrated how followership, innovation, and trust across departments can remove barriers and expand educational opportunity in unprecedented ways.
Student engagement continues to grow, and the model is already expanding. The same book club structure is launching at Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis, where more than 20 incarcerated students have already expressed interest in participating, further evidence of the program’s scalability and impact.
What Are We Reading?
Students are currently reading “Understanding Entrepreneurship: What It Is and Why It Matters” by Zhang Weiying. The text has sparked meaningful dialogue around global entrepreneurial mindset, value creation, competition, and risk. This supports students in understanding entrepreneurship as a way of thinking rather than simply a business outcome. Students will next read “What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence” by Stephen A. Schwarzman, shifting from foundational theory to applied leadership, resilience, and long-term vision. These books were donated to Maricopa Community Colleges from NACCE (National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship) in 2019 and copies were distributed to the prison library.
Student Reflections
Reflections from incarcerated students highlight the depth of learning and the relevance of the book club to their academic, professional, and personal goals. Many students described developing a stronger entrepreneurial mindset and a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurship influences markets, innovation, and opportunity.
As one student shared, “Entrepreneurship is the way of the future. Most successful businesses are a result of entrepreneurship.” Another reflected on a key concept from the reading, stating, “I learned that entrepreneurship is the best anti-monopoly law.”
Students also connected the experience to future career pathways in accounting, business ownership, nonprofit leadership, and service-based enterprises. One participant explained, “This reinforces the pathway forward for nonprofit foundation and directorship, a new goal of mine for after incarceration.”
Beyond academic learning, students emphasized skill development in facilitation, communication, collaboration, and leadership. Several described how they could articulate this experience on résumés, LinkedIn profiles, or in interviews. As one student reflected, “Being part of this book club gave me the chance to facilitate chapters with my partner and help engage the class in deeper discussions.”
Entrepreneurship in action is not only about starting something new, it is about nurturing potential, expanding access, and building pathways forward together. We extend our sincere gratitude to Margie and Kevin Youngblood for their generous donation in support of this initiative. We also extend our sincere appreciation to William Leos and Zachary Carpenter for their essential support and collaboration.
As we plan to expand this program to additional incarcerated cohorts, we welcome continued support. Those interested in donating are encouraged to contact Dr. Lily Davidov at [email protected].