Prior to launching Bottle Rocket, Calvin ran a private equity and business development company that completed many successful projects and made equity investments into 16 companies, many of which were technology focused. He has founded or co-founded several other businesses, including i.con interactive, an Internet software development and professional services company. This company eventually merged with seven other Internet firms to form Luminant Worldwide, a publicly-traded company with $160 million in revenue and over 1,000 professionals. 

 

Outside of Bottle Rocket, Calvin serves on numerous corporate advisory boards and was president of the Dallas Chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization, an international membership organization of more than 5,500 business owners worldwide. He later served on the President’s Council of EO and as its North American Regional Director. Calvin holds a BA in Accounting and BA in Organizational Behavior and Business Policy degrees from Southern Methodist University and is a graduate of both the Stagen Integral Leadership Program and Transformational Leadership Program.

Greg Weatherford II is an entrepreneurial prodigy and philanthropist. At the age of 12, Greg founded the non-profit, Young People Who Care, which helped create student-led service learning opportunities for young people to get involved in the community. 

 

In the for-profit world, Greg has served as a consultant for large corporations, non-profit organizations and educational institutions. In 2008, Greg was selected to lead The State Farm Youth Advisory Board which is an outreach initiative that allocates $5 million annually to college students to grant out across North America to deserving non-profits.

This is part 2 and the exciting conclusion of my in depth interview with Jason Wang. 

 

Jason Wang is the Executive Relations Manager for Defy Ventures, a non-profit organization that takes previously incarcerated persons and pairs them with successful entrepreneurs and executives. Despite the success he’s achieved in present day, Jason did not have an easy start. He was incarcerated at the age of 15 and earned a 12 year sentence due to his life of hustling, gambling and gang affiliation. Since being released from prison, he’s completely transformed his life. Jason graduated from UT Dallas with a double masters (MBA, International Business), has raised over a quarter million dollars in private funding for non-profits, serves on the board of directors for TCJC, is featured in the hit documentary, Chasing Bonnie and Clyde and even founded his own company, By Size moments. 

 

Topics: 

• Experiences in prison
• The role his mother played in his transformation
• How he was able to find success after his release
• Defy Ventures 

Contact: 

jwang@defyventures.org

Jason Wang is the Executive Relations Manager for Defy Ventures, a non-profit organization that takes previously incarcerated persons and pairs them with successful entrepreneurs and executives. Despite the success he’s achieved in present day, Jason did not have an easy start. He was incarcerated at the age of 15 and earned a 12 year sentence due to his life of hustling, gambling and gang affiliation.

 

Since being released from prison, he’s completely transformed his life. Jason graduated from UT Dallas with a double masters (MBA, International Business), has raised over a quarter million dollars in private funding for non-profits, serves on the board of directors for TCJC, is featured in the hit documentary, Chasing Bonnie and Clyde and even founded his own company, By Size moments.