Raashed Hall

What drew you to Pivot?

While I was incarcerated, I always had aspirations to become a successful entrepreneur when I was released. When the program was referred to me, I was like, “Entrepreneurship and Georgetown?” That’s right up my alley. The time that I spent while I was in prison, I actually spent preparing for this moment. So it was like it all came together. It was like a light came on. So that’s what actually motivated me to start pursuing this program.

Do you have a specific business you’re interested in?

While I was in prison, I designed and patented my own workout device. It’s a simple push-up mechanism. It’s a two-handled device that attaches resistance bands, while you’re doing push-ups. So I want to have my own personal training business. I want to have a van with my equipment on it, so I can go from place to place, site to site. And I want to call my business Training Wheels.

What does being a Pivot Fellow mean to you?

It does something to my confidence. Because last year, I was in prison. Now I’m talking to you in a Georgetown facility. So it does something to your confidence, because prison affects your confidence in a negative way. You have to constantly affirm to yourself that even though XYZ happened, this is not going to define who I am. No one’s going to define my future. I can tell one of my clients at the gym that I go to a business school in Georgetown. When people view you differently, it does something to my confidence. It makes me proud having at least gotten my foot in the door.