By Amberly Smith
“That makes a lot of sense to me,” Chris Alvarez said. I had just mentioned that people with criminal records are more likely to own businesses. “I’ve absolutely seen that to be true.”
We were sitting at a Word on the Street meeting, and his response opened up a conversation that stuck with me. Chris isn’t alone in seeing that pattern. The research backs it up. And the reasons why go deeper than I expected.
At WOTS I’ve met Gypsy, Ashtyn, Nick, and so many more through these meetings. Nicki shared that it often takes building a personal connection with a company before they’ll consider hiring someone with a record.
Research Mode
Did you know that convicted individuals are 13% more likely to work at startups after a conviction? A recent paper by Kylie Hwang and Melanie Wallskog called “Startups as Engines of Inclusion” found that startup hiring of people with records is most common when exclusion from traditional firms is highest.
When most people hear ‘neurodivergent,’ they picture someone who can’t sit still or seek out risk. But neurodivergence is so much more than that. It includes differences in how we process time, handle structure, connect with others and navigate sensory input. Being neurodivergent means I am statistically more likely to have problems with self-harm, addiction, and job loss.
The Receipts
The patterns go deeper: 28% of people with criminal records are self-employed compared to only 10-12% of people without records (Center for American Progress, 2023). Neurodivergent people? We’re four times more likely than neurotypicals to start our own businesses. In fact, 8% of small business founders have ADHD compared to just 2% in the general population.
Here’s what makes it even more striking. Roughly 50% of prison populations may be neurodivergent and around 25% of homeless adults are neurodivergent compared to only 15% of the general population (Penal Reform International, 2025). Eight in ten neurodivergent people will experience mental health conditions in their lifetime.
These aren’t separate issues—they’re deeply intertwined. The systems that fail neurodivergent people often lead to mental health crises, homelessness, and incarceration.
But here’s what gives me hope: entrepreneurship isn’t just about survival—it actually changes outcomes. Studies show that entrepreneurship decreases recidivism rates by 30%, dropping them from 45.6% down to around 32% (Hwang & Phillips, 2024).
Ashtyn pointed out something brilliant: a Venn diagram must exist showing the overlap between people who are neurodivergent or struggling with mental health conditions, people who’ve been failed by society and people who forge their own path forward. She said that the diagram would look a bit like an oval.
Maybe what we share is a refusal to let systems built for someone else define our worth.
The Resistance
I passionately believe that representation in any form matters. Being able to see similar ideas and struggles, and being able to hear about other people’s choices, allows us to see our part in the world. On our individual journeys to self-love, we grow and heal when we recognize ourselves in others.
I registered my LLC this month to do project management work focused on ethical community planning and building affordable housing through ADUs (accessory dwelling units). I’m building these places for my daughters—one who is autistic and one who has DID—and for everyone else who needs a place that is built to include them.