From Prison to Startup: Founder Builds AI Platform for Ex-Offenders Seeking Work

Richard Bronson carries an uncommon résumé for someone launching a technology startup. Years ago, he spent time behind bars—a consequence of his own admission that he broke securities laws while building a $100 million business in South Florida.

His path to entrepreneurship began in the 1980s at Stratton Oakmont, the scandal-plagued brokerage helmed by Jordan Belfort, whose life inspired the 2013 film "The Wolf of Wall Street." After a year as a partner there, Bronson departed to establish his own firm. That venture thrived until legal troubles caught up with him. "I built a $100 million business taking these small cap companies public," Bronson explained to TechCrunch. "Some of the success, however, came through breaking the law — securities laws — and ultimately, as I knew inevitably would happen, I had to pay the price. I lost everything, and most significantly, my freedom. And I was sent to federal prison for a couple of years."

Upon release, Bronson encountered a barrier that his credentials could not overcome. "Nobody would hire me, despite all of my education and work experience and everything else. I was like completely radioactive," he recalled.

That experience became the catalyst for Commissary Club, an AI-powered employment and social platform aimed squarely at people with criminal records seeking to rebuild their lives. The name references the prison commissary where inmates purchase essentials. The platform helps users navigate job searches, housing applications and benefits access while fostering community connections among members.

Bronson recognized a gap in support services for returning citizens. "I could not help but notice how little assistance was available to people coming out of prison," he said. "If it was this bad for me, what about the guys I was in prison with who had very little education and very little job experience? What were their chances?"

The platform combines practical tools with social features. "It's almost like Facebook," Bronson described it, "where people can not only find job, and get the help with the jobs and the housing and access to benefits, but they find the other missing ingredient that's existentially important to them that isn't satisfied elsewhere. They find community." The site also functions as a referral network and includes dating capabilities.

Currently operating as a two-person operation, Commissary Club pairs Bronson with co-founder Roman Kissin, who brings technical expertise. Kissin's background includes roles at eBay and IBM, and he served as CTO of LexisNexis from 2022 to 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The business model begins with free access, then transitions to paid tiers. Users receive "the first 10 applications for free, and then we bundle the next at $149 for 10 applications, or $14.99 each," Bronson explained. For individuals recently released from incarceration, the pricing structure may present challenges, yet Bronson frames it as sustainable social enterprise.

When asked whether Commissary Club operates as a nonprofit, Bronson was direct: "People immediately assume, 'Oh, is this a nonprofit?' And the answer is no." He acknowledged the mission-driven aspect while emphasizing the business opportunity. "There's a strong mission component, certainly," he continued, "and I have devoted my life, when I came out of prison, to helping my brothers and sisters with records. Part of it is because I just felt so remorseful for the shit that I had done. I still wake up every day regretting choices I made."

Bronson sees the market opportunity as vast and largely unaddressed. "We're going after a huge, huge market that nobody — I mean nobody — does anything about," he stated. "People talk about AI taking away employment and people losing jobs. I look at it differently. We're building AI that creates employment for people that society left behind."

Commissary Club earned selection for this year's TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200, part of the annual Battlefield Competition held in San Francisco.