NCS FOUNDERS

The people who built
Next Chapters Solutions

Founded by lived experience and technical expertise

Co Founder, NCS

Nate Johnson

Ecosystem Builder · Keynote Speaker · Author

Nate Johnson spent 12.5 years inside the Michigan Department of Corrections and the last 12 years building what others only theorize about. He co-founded Fresh Coast Alliance and Reentry United, established the MDOC pilot partnership, and built the connected reentry ecosystem that became Next Chapters Solutions. His Pre-Entry through Post-Entry framework is the backbone of everything NCS does. He lives and leads from Muskegon — the same community he came home to.

Co Founder, NCS

Pankaj Chaudhary

Technology Leader · Social Entrepreneur · Platform Builder

Pankaj Chaudhary brings the technical architecture that turns lived experience into scalable systems. With a background at Uber and Aurora in robotics and platform engineering, he leads the technology infrastructure behind NCS — the Reentry Exchange platform, the Resource Navigator, and the data systems that allow the model to replicate. His role is to ensure that what works in Michigan can work everywhere.

REENTRY UNITED LEADERSHIP

The force behind Michigan’s reentry convening

Co Founder · Reentry United

Angela Sprank

Angela Sprank has spent 25 years building programs inside the criminal justice system that actually move outcomes. As coordinator for MDOC's Region 4 reentry program serving 13 Michigan counties, she has launched initiatives with measurable results — including a CDL program with a 96% success rate. As Co-Founder of Reentry United, she built the convening model that now reaches 350+ attendees annually across 10+ states and goes inside MDOC facilities at every security level.

SPEAKERS COLLECTIVE

Our Partners

Damon West

3x WSJ Best-Selling Author

Sentenced to 65 years. Now a professor whose Coffee Bean philosophy is adopted by the US Army, Alabama Football, and Fortune 500 companies. USA Today's most in-demand speaker in America.

Lester Young, Jr.

Executive Director, Path2Redemption

22.5 years served. Full pardon. Author of 4 books. Certified DISC Trainer. TEDx speaker. Gives audiences a structured roadmap for transformation — not just inspiration.

Jeffrey Abramowitz, J.D.

CEO, Petey Greene Program

Former trial attorney. CEO. Award-winning TV host. Moves organizations from isolated programs to coordinated systems that produce lasting outcomes at scale.

Adam Clausen

Director of Innovation & Social Impact

213-year sentence. Compassionate release. Testified before the US Sentencing Commission. Doesn't just advocate for second chances — builds the systems that make them work.

Dr. Stanley Andrisse

Executive Director, From Prison Cells to PhD

Three felonies. Howard University professor and PhD. Founder of From Prison Cells to PhD - mentoring justice-impacted scholars toward academic and professional careers.

Kendall L. Taylor

Founder & CEO, Salute 1st LLC

Founder of Salute 1st LLC. Builds leadership systems rooted in character formation — because character is the foundation of everything else.