Selected
2024 Global Economic Prosperity Challenge

FreeWorld

FreeWorld is scaling our solution to place returning citizens into living-wage careers in the trucking industry.

Team Leader
Jason Wang
FreeWorld is scaling our solution to place returning citizens into living-wage careers in the trucking industry.

The Problem

Three million formerly incarcerated Americans remain in poverty—despite being willing and able to work—because they cannot secure a living wage job and establish financial stability. Criminal records bar people from earning a living wage, which leads to many returning to crime out of desperation.

The Solution

FreeWorld is a full-stack, automated, online solution addressing most major roadblocks of the reentry experience. We guide formerly incarcerated individuals through the CDL-A permitting, licensing, and job placement.

Our solution is unique due to its:

Technology: Our automated platform—called the Student Portal—is accessible from any smartphone and designed to meet the needs of returning citizens, many of whom have limited digital literacy.

Speed: Using innovative technology that meets returning citizens’ threshold needs, individuals can apply to our program, earn their CDL-A, and be placed into a job paying $55k-100k in as little as 45 days.

Scalability: FreeWorld’s intervention has proven effective at scale, expanding into six states in just two years, and can be deployed in a new city in just 90 days.

Stats

26,000 individuals have applied to FreeWorld's program and accessed their platform.

What is the name of your organization?
FreeWorld
What is the name of your solution?
FreeWorld
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
FreeWorld is scaling our solution to place returning citizens into living-wage careers in the trucking industry.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Austin, TX
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
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What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
—
What specific problem are you solving?
Three million formerly incarcerated Americans remain in poverty—despite being willing and able to work—because they cannot secure a living wage job and establish financial stability. Criminal records bar people from earning a living wage, which leads to many returning to crime out of desperation.
What is your solution?
FreeWorld is a full-stack, automated, online solution addressing most major roadblocks of the reentry experience. We guide formerly incarcerated individuals through the CDL-A permitting, licensing, and job placement. Our solution is unique due to its: Technology: Our automated platform—called the Student Portal—is accessible from any smartphone and designed to meet the needs of returning citizens, many of whom have limited digital literacy. Speed: Using innovative technology that meets returning citizens’ threshold needs, individuals can apply to our program, earn their CDL-A, and be placed into a job paying $55k-100k in as little as 45 days. Scalability: FreeWorld’s intervention has proven effective at scale, expanding into six states in just two years, and can be deployed in a new city in just 90 days.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
FreeWorld serves formerly incarcerated adults ages 21–65 who remain in poverty because a criminal record restricts access to living-wage employment. More than 3 million returning citizens nationwide are ready to rebuild their lives but remain locked out of stable careers. The majority of participants are Black and Latino and come from communities disproportionately impacted by poverty and incarceration, where returning home often means navigating debt, limited documentation, employment discrimination, and family responsibilities. Through a technology-enabled training and placement model, FreeWorld places participants into local trucking careers earning $55,000–$120,000 annually in as little as 45 days. We cover upfront costs so finances are not a barrier. Graduates more than double their wages on average, achieve 92% 12-month retention, and maintain a recidivism rate below 5%, creating lasting economic mobility for themselves and their families.

Organization Type:
Nonprofit

Headquarters:
Austin, TX, United States

Stage:
Scale

Working In:
United States

Solution Website:
www.freeworld.org

Solution Team:
Jason Wang
Jason Wang
Founder & CEO