The Daunting Problem
The U.S. makes up
25%
of the world’s incarcerated population, but only 5% of the total world population.
There has been a
700%
increase to our prison population since the 1970s.
Annually, Nearly
$48B
is spent on prisons for state and federal institutions.
Over
55%
is the rate of recidivism.
Our Solution
We are in
23
classrooms across six states.
We have served
974
students and counting since 2010.
We have
379
Returned Citizens who have successfully rejoined society.
Our graduates boast a
0%
recidivism rate.
Our Story
In 2010, Chris Redlitz entered San Quentin State Prison for the first time. Because of his background in venture capital, he was invited to speak to a group of men about business and entrepreneurship. He was so impressed by the men’s level of business knowledge and desire to learn, he began to nurture the idea of creating a Technology Accelerator inside the prison. His wife and business partner, Beverly Parenti, was not immediately enamored with the idea, but they agreed to immerse themselves into the issue of incarceration in America, and find a path to help resolve this daunting problem.

Beverly agreed to join Chris on a journey to create The Last Mile (TLM). Since its inception The Last Mile has generated a groundswell of support for criminal justice across America. Never before have we experienced such a cooperative, non-partisan effort to curb the problem of mass incarceration. Imagine if we could break the cycle of incarceration and instead of spending tax dollars for prison, we could spend these tax dollars on higher education, and provide educational opportunities for youth in underserved communities. This would enable them to choose a different path than one of crime. With education and career training opportunities we could break the generational cycle of incarceration. There’s plenty of proof that the impact of one man’s incarceration is felt by families and communities for decades.

The Last Mile Timeline
March 4 2023
December 1 2022
October 25 2022
September 19 2022
June 22 2022
April 1 2022
February 1 2022
October 8 2021
September 27 2021
September 1 2021
July 2 2021
May 14 2021
April 29 2021
March 1 2021
February 2 2021
December 10 2020
October 19 2020
October 1 2020
September 29 2020
September 1 2020
June 25 2020
April 14 2020
February 28 2020
October 22 2019
March 25 2019
February 11 2019
January 14 2019
December 4 2018
August 15 2018
May 25 2018
April 6 2018
February 18 2017
March 17 2016
January 4 2016
June 24 2015
August 20 2014
May 18 2012
December 18 2010
October 23 2010
The Last Mile Starts
Chris Redlitz enters San Quentin and is inspired to ask his wife Beverly Parenti to join him in starting a programTLM Team
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Andrea Henkel
Chief Strategy Officer
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Anna Marie Keppel Benson
Senior Curriculum Developer
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Anthony M. Villalba
Web Development Education Apprentice, Academic Support
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Aron Roy
Web Development Education Apprentice, Remote Instruction
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Blake Hansen
Web Development Education Apprentice, Academic Support
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Brett Buskirk
Platform Systems Engineer
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Carrie Murchison
Reentry Manager
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Dan Tinkler
Remote Instructor, AVP
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Deven Anthony
Operations Support Engineer
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Dominique Tanks
Returned Citizen Advocate
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Dylan Franks
Curriculum Specialist, AVP
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Emily Lundy
Digital Communications Coordinator
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Eric Abercrombie
TLM Radio Host
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Erika Seeley
People Operations Specialist
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Erin Palumbo
Senior Programs Manager
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Gary Green
Senior Academic Support Specialist
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Henry L. Dillard
Remote Instructor
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Jacob Briggs
Academic Support Manager, Web Development
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Jacob Robak
Web Development Education Apprentice, Academic Support
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Jason Charley-Jones
Sr Manager of Partnerships
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Jennifer Wardlaw-Stephens
Operations Coordinator
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Jesse Lofland
Curriculum Manager
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John Mannion
Remote Instructor
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Joseph Evans
Web Development Education Apprentice, Academic Support
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Julia Schnoll
Classroom Operations Manager
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Katy Gilbert
Classroom Facilitator
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Kelly Donohue
Communications and Brand Manager
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Kevin Kelly
Returned Citizen Advocate
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Matthew Nelson
Senior Manager of Web Development
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Mikayla Munn
Web Development Education Apprentice, Remote Instruction
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Mike Bowie
Chief Technology Officer
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Molly Kelly
Returned Citizen Advocate
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Nick Zinni
Returned Citizen Advocate
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Peter Nguyen
Remote Instruction Manager
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Sam Bufe
Senior Manager of Research and Analytics
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Sarah Brown
Classroom Operations Coordinator
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Syd Heller
Executive Director
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Terrell Lemons
Remote Instructor
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Tulio Cardozo
IT Manager
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Vah Saechao
Operations Support Engineer
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Walker Delbo
AVP Manager
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Zee Lopez
Development Manager

Andrea Henkel
Chief Strategy Officer
Andrea is passionate about leveraging the power of education to address systemic inequity. She has worked in a various roles at different education-focused organizations: she taught at public, private, and non-public schools throughout New York City; designed curricula and game-based learning experiences at the Institute of Play and TenMarks Education; coached first-year teachers in partnership with San Francisco Unified Public Schools; and managed a team of curriculum developers at Girls Who Code. She is inspired and humbled every day by the students, colleagues, and community she works with at TLM.

Anna Marie Keppel Benson
Senior Curriculum Developer
Anna is an advocate, artist, and web developer specializing in UI/UX and data visualizations. After graduating from Duke University, she worked for AppDynamics and Cisco systems as a front-end and full-stack software. As a Senior Curriculum Developer for TLM, she strives to make technology more accessible and inspire learners’ creativity in web development.
Anna is passionate about addressing the harms of the prison system by creating new and meaningful opportunities for incarcerated individuals. Anna values community, equity, and empathy in her work and is grateful to be working alongside the fantastic TLM team.

Anthony M. Villalba
Web Development Education Apprentice, Academic Support
Anthony M. Villalba Joined The Last Mile in 2018 and evolved into a man that refined his dreams and destiny as part of the Ironwood cohort. During his development as a coder, Mr. Villalba learned to leverage his experience in life and inquisitiveness as a programmer towards developing into a leader while gaining proficiencies in several languages & Libraries.
Mr. Villalba is currently enrolled in Justice Through Code – Data Analytics cohort, Google – Data Analytics Program.
Continuing to chase his dreams of becoming a Web Developer, Anthony is determined to manifest this destiny.

Aron Roy
Web Development Education Apprentice, Remote Instruction
Aron first began coding as a participant of The Last Mile in San Quentin. As a coding enthusiast, he enjoys a challenge as an opportunity to use his problem solving skills and love of learning. He is passionate about education, both as a learner and as an instructor. Aron is excited to solve the world’s problems through code! He graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Business Administration, concentration in Corporate Financial Management.

Blake Hansen
Web Development Education Apprentice, Academic Support
Blake Hansen joined The Last Mile as a student at San Quentin State Prison. There he learned that his hard work and love for education would transition into something greater. Upon release Blake has furthered his own education in ReactJS, and MongoDB and is currently doing freelance work using WordPress. Today he joins The Last Mile as an educator and supporter of those students he left behind. Here he hopes to show all his peers that success is only around the corner.

Brett Buskirk
Platform Systems Engineer
Brett is a returned citizen after twenty-four years of incarceration. He learned how to develop websites using the MERN stack while attending The Last Mile program in Indiana. He is a lifelong learner, having a passion for all things tech related, mathematics, and physics. He has a particular love for React, but hopes to learn additional languages and stacks in order to build more complex applications and round out his skills.
Leveraging his position at The Last Mile, Brett wishes to make a difference by being an educator and example for those who have walked a rough road in life. He hopes that his story of determination, perseverance, and success will lead others to follow suit.

Carrie Murchison
Reentry Manager
Carrie Murchison is a fierce advocate for justice reform and fair chance hiring. After participating in the web development program in Folsom Women’s Facility in 2019 she worked in the education department for almost a year supporting TLM students in the classroom. However, she was compelled and felt called to reentry. Supporting returning citizens quickly became her life’s passion and she has put herself into creating more and better support systems for TLM alumni from day one in the reentry department. As The Last Miles Reentry Manager, she says that leading a team of Returned Citizen Advocates is something that brings her joy and inspiration daily.

Dan Tinkler
Remote Instructor, AVP
Dan Tinkler is a lifelong musician whose passion for performance and musical study led him into the world of audio engineering. He has spent the last 11 years working in recording studios and venues in Chicago with artists from all over the country. Dan always had a passion for sharing his knowledge of audio with others and received his masters from Northwestern University in 2018 to pursue teaching in higher education. He began working as an adjunct instructor at Flashpoint College before joining The Last Mile as an Audio Program Specialist. Dan is eager to continue to share his love for audio with students and grow the audio community with passionate engineers.

Deven Anthony
Operations Support Engineer
My name is Deven Anthony. I started my interest in computer science after taking a coding course at my local community college, after that I dove head first into the world of computing. I started my career working as an IT Technician for a small construction company in Napa California, as well as contributing to multiple open source projects in my spare time. My other interest including filming, video production, and aviation.

Dominique Tanks
Returned Citizen Advocate
Dominique Tanks joined The Last Mile at Ironwood State Prison. While learning to code he continued to fulfill his roles as Co-Lead Mentor Coordinator and Lead facilitator of multiple rehabilitative programs at his institution. In 2018 Governor Brown commuted Dominique’s 50-to-Life sentence which led to his release in 2021. He continued his passion for assisting others by becoming a Life Coach after his release. Dominique, seeking a role that aligned with his passion, joined TLM’s Reentry Department as a Returned Citizen Advocate.

Dylan Franks
Curriculum Specialist, AVP
Dylan Franks is an educator and filmmaker committed to making the tools of video production accessible to storytellers within their communities, regardless of systemic divide. After studying rhetoric and community filmmaking at Bates College, Dylan worked as a teacher and curriculum specialist for the New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC) and has been a frequent collaborator on grassroots film projects. Now based in Arizona, Dylan is excited to join the team at The Last Mile and support this integral work.

Emily Lundy
Digital Communications Coordinator
Emily is the Digital Communications Coordinator at The Last Mile. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, she got involved in the Inside/Out program and participated in the Pittsburgh Prison Outreach, an organization that helped with book donations and letter writing to those in prison in the Allegheny area.

Eric Abercrombie
TLM Radio Host
Eric Abercrombie (also known as Maserati-E) was born in Oakland Ca. He was featured in the Emmy-nominated Documentary “Q-Ball”. Eric also is formerly incarcerated, he learned sound design and film while incarcerated. Eric plans to show the world how people are not defined by their past mistakes or conditions and give a glimpse of what could be accomplished if afforded the opportunity. Eric plans to change the world by changing the way we view the world.

Erika Seeley
People Operations Specialist
Erika is an advocate who is passionate about people! She truly enjoys helping the people – who are out there helping the people! 🙂 Erika graduated with her Bachelors in Human Resources and her Masters in Human Dynamics. She has worked within Human Resources in some capacity for the majority of her life and is passionate about building teams and departments. She’s grateful to be able to continue that work alongside the TLM team.
While working behind the scenes, she hopes to be able to make an impact in the current state of our justice system by lifting up and supporting her TLM team members and helping them maintain the best version of themselves.

Erin Palumbo
Senior Programs Manager
Erin Palumbo graduated from the University of Pittsburgh where she studied social work. After moving to Australia to complete her education, Erin worked with youth involved in the juvenile justice system. This experience led to an interest in education and rehabilitation programs for incarcerated individuals.

Gary Green
Senior Academic Support Specialist
Gary is a returned citizen who was released in June 2020, after 22 years of incarceration. He learned web development using the MERN stack and is actively engaged in pursuing web development as a career and as an entrepreneurial endeavor. Gary believes that creating jobs and helping individuals become employable are equally important and is passionate about doing his part on both sides of that equation.

Henry L. Dillard
Remote Instructor
Henry is a returned citizen after serving 25 years of incarceration in the Michigan Depatment of Corrections. Henry became a part of the TLM family as a student in the first TLM Michigan classroom where he finished track one of the web development curriculum. Although he was introduced as a student of coding he always showed interest in project management, and with the help of TLM began studying and preparing for a PM career. Henry is now a CAPM certified PM and member of the Project Management Institute.
As a Remote Instructor, Henry is excited to grow his skill set, helping to make the TLM experience better for the students that will follow. Henry believes it’s important for everyone to understand that TLM isn’t just about coding, it’s about people. He takes pride in being in a position to assist with helping people discover themselves and change the lives of families and communities everywhere.

Jacob Briggs
Academic Support Manager, Web Development
Jacob is a returned citizen who worked as a software engineer prior to joining The Last Mile. He learned how to code while attending The Last Mile program in Indiana. He is a driven philomath, is excited about teaching, and even got a Department of Labor certification in Education & Training. He has a deep interest in blockchain technology – he has been learning many of the languages involved in web3 development and started his own web3 and blockchain services company.
Building on his knowledge of education and his experience as a software engineer, Jacob sought a position at TLM because he wanted to be a part of the organization and process that has changed his life so drastically. He hopes to help others who are striving to make these same changes and considers his job very rewarding.

Jacob Robak
Web Development Education Apprentice, Academic Support
Jacob Robak is a returned citizen and recent graduate of The Last Mile program in Indiana, where he learned to code using the full MERN stack. He is interested in back-end technologies and is actively working toward his career goal of database management. He is a lifetime learner who is committed to self-improvement and personal responsibility. He is a believer in positive thinking and living your best life under any and all circumstances. He hopes to use his position with The Last Mile to positively impact people and his community, and to show, by example, that success is not only possible but attainable for each of us.

Jason Charley-Jones
Sr Manager of Partnerships
Jason Jones is a full-time disruptor, activist, educator, and software engineer. Jason leads TLM’s conversations with existing and potential partners for TLM’s future with a focus on creating mutually beneficial partnerships that impact TLM’s learners on a high scale.
On September 25, 2018, Jason was released after 13 ½ years incarcerated, during which time he graduated from The Last Mile’s inaugural coding class. Three weeks before his release, Jason became the first person from his cohort to sign a work agreement with a tech company as a software engineer. Jason was also the first justice-involved person to be accepted into the Lightspeed fellowship with a team from Stanford. Jason has gone on to graduate from the Koch Associate Program. Jason currently sits on the board of Rosecrans Ventures an organization that focuses on mentoring opportunity youth from marginalized communities. He is passionate about creating more opportunities for representation in tech and mentoring youth, which inspired him to continue to tutor and teach opportunity youth computer coding. Outside of his work with TLM he runs his own tech consulting company called Disrupt 2 innovate (D2i) where he consults companies on integrating MBM and technology to amplify their impact. #createChange #Disrupt2innovate

Jennifer Wardlaw-Stephens
Operations Coordinator
Originally from a New Jersey suburb outside of Philadelphia, Jennifer graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and undeclared minors in Sociology and African American studies.
She has experience in the nonprofit sector, having worked within case management for a Reentry program serving formerly incarcerated women in rural North Carolina and has some background in the corporate world working in Human Resources and recruitment.
She believes wholeheartedly in second chances – of everyone having a real chance and is happy to be serving as the Operations Coordinator at The Last Mile!

Jesse Lofland
Curriculum Manager
Jesse is the Curriculum Manager at The Last Mile. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer with five years of classroom teaching experience in the Bay Area and abroad, Jesse brings his pedagogic expertise to serve TLM’s diverse range of learners. He is a boot-camp graduate and has worked in coding instruction to help students and professionals of varying proficiencies bring their dreams to life by writing full-stack applications.
Collaborating closely with TLM’s curriculum developers to implement new lessons and the facilitator team to effectively deliver curriculum, Jesse leads TLM’s effort to provide all program participants the skills they need to find work and build projects outside of prison.

John Mannion
Remote Instructor
John was one of the students selected to the Last Miles’s inaugural cohort in Michigan. He spoke on behalf of the class during its grand opening and was the first to graduate both Track 1 and Track 2. His love and understanding of coding, and his love for teaching allowed him to become a student worker after the second week of class and a tutor upon completion of the program. Now working for The Last Mile, John is afforded the ability to incorporate most of his dreams as one single pursuit: his love of coding, advocacy, teaching, learning, creativity and growth.

Joseph Evans
Web Development Education Apprentice, Academic Support
Joseph started his coding career in the inaugural cohort at the Putnamville facility in Indiana. He never expected that a program he completed in prison could have such a drastic impact on his life. Today, he’s enrolled in a coding boot camp and studying to further expand upon the skills that The Last Mile taught him. He is extremely grateful for the opportunity to give back to the program that has helped change his life, and the life of so many others.

Julia Schnoll
Classroom Operations Manager
Julia Schnoll graduated from the University of Oregon where she studied International Studies with an emphasis in Human Rights and Law. In her senior year, she participated in the Inside Out Exchange Program, a college course that brings together traditional university students and incarcerated students for a semester-long class at Oregon State Penitentiary. This experience sparked her interest in fostering educational programs for people entangled in the justice system.

Katy Gilbert
Classroom Facilitator
Katy graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from San Francisco State University in May 2021. During the program, she co-facilitated trauma-informed support services for men who were incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison and worked on research about San Francisco’s Juvenile Hall. Prior to entering the degree program, she worked as a community sex and health educator.

Kelly Donohue
Communications and Brand Manager
Kelly has been a communication leader in the non-profit sector for nearly a decade. She is driven by mission-based work, centered around equity, access, and social justice. With a background in
psychology, marketing, and mediation, she utilizes the power of effective and authentic communication to help people tell their stories. This passion is her motivation for joining The Last
Mile team. She intends to bring awareness to the ineffectiveness of today’s incarceration system and empower the voices of the students forging a path forward through TLM’s programs. Her experience also includes a strong background in civic engagement including: a founding member of an organization that activates the under 40 community; a communication liaison for several election campaigns; and a key member of several committees dedicated to economic development and legislative action.

Kevin Kelly
Returned Citizen Advocate
Kevin Kelly was a participant at The Last Mile Program at San Quentin State Prison. Kevin is very passionate about helping those returning to society to get the best reentry possible. As a Returned Citizen Advocate with The Last Mile Kevin hopes to have an impact on the way society views and welcomes those who are justice impacted.

Matthew Nelson
Senior Manager of Web Development
Matthew is an educator, artist, and activist who believes in challenging systemic inequities through the radical reimagining of tech education. Prior to joining TLM, he worked as a classroom teacher and teacher-trainer in California, Maine, Russia, and Nepal. Matthew’s introduction to coding came in 2017 when he discovered the live-coding music platform, Sonic Pi. Since that time, he has become passionate about coding as both a professional skill and a creative endeavor.

Mikayla Munn
Web Development Education Apprentice, Remote Instruction
I am a former TLM student who developed a deep passion for coding and reignited her love of teaching. Upon my release I wanted to further pursue my education in coding with the Justice Through Code program. I am looking forward to working closely with TLM students as web development education apprentice. I am thrilled to merge both my passions coding and teaching into one.

Mike Bowie
Chief Technology Officer
Mike Bowie is the Chief Technology Officer, leading the long-term technology vision for The Last Mile. He is responsible for the architecture and implementation of the technology infrastructure, systems, and evolving programs. Mike has spent his career enabling people and businesses through technology driven solutions and is extremely passionate about designing innovative systems at TLM, to change lives through technology.
Prior to joining TLM, Mike established the IT organization for a healthcare business, growing the team and their platforms from those of a startup to a scalable operation. With over twenty years of technology experience, he has developed a number of engineering teams and worked in many distinct facets of the industry – from software development to hardware design. He has provided oversight and design guidance to a multitude of startups.
He has a soft spot for arcade game restoration, considers himself a “reformed” marathoner, and is currently attempting to re-training for obstacle racing.

Molly Kelly
Returned Citizen Advocate
Molly is a graduate of The Last Mile program at Indiana Women’s Prison. She is passionate about helping returned citizens as a Returned Citizen Advocate in the Reentry Department. Molly strongly believes in The Last Mile and in the power of supporting others through their reentry journey.

Nick Zinni
Returned Citizen Advocate
Nick graduated from Suffolk University in 2014 with a graduate degree in Public Administration following an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. He spent his career working with proven-risk and justice-impacted youth and families in Massachusetts and Louisiana and has always been passionate about advocacy with this community. Excited to be part of the TLM family, Nick is honored and humbled to work with Returned Citizens as a Returned Citizen Advocate.

Peter Nguyen
Remote Instruction Manager
I first joined The Last Mile as a student in 2017 at Ironwood where I learned HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. With a foundation set in programming I then went on to General Assembly’s fully immersive software engineering bootcamp in 2020 where I learned full stack software development with technologies such as Mongoose, Express, React.js, Node.js and MongoDB through project based curriculums. My desire is to utilize my knowledge in programming to make a positive social impact in my community and the world.

Sam Bufe
Senior Manager of Research and Analytics
Sam is the Sr. Manager of Research and Analytics at The Last Mile. After earning his BA and MS in Economics from Marquette University, Sam worked in a research role at the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, studying the socioeconomic needs and priorities of US households. Residing in Santa Barbara, CA, but originally from St. Louis, MO, Sam enjoys listening to (and occasionally playing) music, following his hometown’s professional sports teams, and advocating for restorative justice systems.

Sarah Brown
Classroom Operations Coordinator
Sarah Brown is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Information Studies and went on to receive her Master’s in Library and Information Studies. She also received her Certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida. Sarah recently worked as a public librarian for six years where she brought her passion for E.D.I., leadership, and advocacy into her work building relationships with community organizations and working with at-risk and underrepresented communities. Outside of work, Sarah is a mother of two, an avid reader, and a proud member of Matriarch, a local non-profit that focuses on educating and empowering indigenous women and Two-Spirit relatives.

Syd Heller
Executive Director
Syd started his career as a full stack web developer in the public sector in 2012, after graduating from UCLA with a degree in Russian Language and Literature. As a result of his undergraduate work, as well as his participation in the Russian Language Flagship, Syd is passionate about acquisition and pedagogy of both spoken and coding languages. Syd first learned about in-prison programs after volunteering with the Prison Education Project in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Syd’s first position at TLM involved working with the Web Developers at the TLM Works Development Shop. Syd then transitioned into an administrative role outside the classroom environment and currently serves as TLM’s Executive Director. Syd continually draws on his experience as a language learner, self-taught web developer, and day-to-day work with TLM students and in-facility staff to inform his decisions regarding the TLM program, platform, and vision.

Terrell Lemons
Remote Instructor
Terrell joined The Last Mile in 2016 as a student in Ironwood State Prison. Released in February 2020, he immediately pursued his passion for Web Development and enrolled in General Assembly’s Software Engineering Immersive. Focused on his passion to be a Full-Stack Developer, he enrolled as a student at Cal State Fullerton University, where he is majoring in Computer Software Engineering. He is proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Mongoose/MongoDb, Express, React, NodeJS, Python, Command Line, Git, and C++.

Tulio Cardozo
IT Manager
IT Manager, Tulio Cardozo, works with The Last Mile to support the student and staff’s experience as it relates to technology across TLM’s learning services, proprietary network, and physical device infrastructure spanning three timezones.
Tulio’s career with The Last Mile initially started eight years ago as a founding graduate of The Last Mile Entrepreneurship Program. After serving seven years in state prison, Tulio has successfully transitioned into a technology career in San Francisco, CA.
Tulio is a state-credentialed employee and previously managed TLM Works, at San Quentin State Prison, the same prison he resided during his incarceration. TLM Works is the first-ever web development shop staffed by currently and formerly incarcerated web developers working for “outside” companies.
Aside from The Last Mile, Tulio has worked as a business analyst for technology accelerator, KickLabs, mastered WordPress as an independent contractor, lead engineering and development at Launch Podium (a tech startup in San Francisco), and has taught Web Design and Coding through Five Keys Charter School, to residents of the San Francisco County Jail and the San Francisco Adult Probation Department.

Vah Saechao
Operations Support Engineer
Vah Saechao was formerly incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. He is a Web Developer for The Last Mile. All of his software skills were learned in prison. Vah is a constant learner and enjoys working as a team. Skilled in JavaScript, Reactjs, Nodejs, MongoDB, MySql, Python, and WordPress. He is passionate about sciences like physics, statistics, and would like to add Machine Learning to the list in the near future.

Walker Delbo
AVP Manager
Walker is an educator and musician from Ojai, California. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz in 2010, Walker spent several years in various education roles, developing a special interest in working with youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. It was in pursuit of this interest that he joined The Last Mile in 2020 as Classroom Facilitator for the coding program at Ventura Youth Correctional Facility. The opportunity to combine his passions for music and education arose when he transitioned into the role of Audio Program Specialist in order to develop the pilot for TLM’s Audio and Video Production (AVP) Program. Walker now serves as AVP Manager, and takes great joy from seeing students engage with this new and quickly growing educational program.

Zee Lopez
Development Manager
Zee has been a non-profit fundraising professional for over a decade. She’s always gravitated towards mission-driven organizations that promote social justice, equality, and sustainability. She has a dual degree in English and Women’s Gender Studies from Santa Clara University which allows her to analyze and articulate complex issues into a palatable narrative. She’s taken her alma mater to heart and deeply believes in the idea to leave the world a better place for the next generation. This guiding commitment led her to The Last Mile, where she will help uplift others through the life-changing power of education.
Directors and Advisors
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Beverly Parenti
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Chris Redlitz
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MC Hammer
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Michael Harris
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Sway Calloway
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Peter Stern
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John Hamm

Beverly Parenti
Beverly Parenti is a serial entrepreneur, specializing in the advancement of innovative technologies. Along with longtime business partner and husband, Chris Redlitz, she launched their nonprofit,The Last Mile (TLM) in 2010 at San Quentin State Prison. The goal of TLM is to provide education and training inside prison, resulting in gainful employment for returned citizen graduates, thereby reducing recidivism. TLM has become one of the most requested prison education programs in the United States. It is the first program to offer a computer programming curriculum that teaches men and women to become software engineers. All TLM “Returned Citizen Graduates” are prospering personally and professionally with 0% recidivism.

Chris Redlitz
Chris Redlitz is the Managing Partner of Transmedia Capital, one of the best performing micro funds in Silicon Valley, focused on early stage digital media and commerce platforms. Chris has worked with many aspiring entrepreneurs through KickLabs, one of the country’s leading technology accelerators he co-founded in 2009. He received Ad Age’s prestigious i20 award for his contributions to the development of interactive marketing and advertising. Earlier in his career, Chris was part of Reebok’s explosive growth where he held positions in sales and marketing and also owned one of the first specialty sports retail chains in Southern California. For over twenty years, Chris was a distance runner completing marathons and ultra marathons. Today he is an avid cyclist and health advocate.

MC Hammer
A multi-award winner, M.C. Hammer is a rapper, dancer, entrepreneur, spokesman and occasional actor. He is considered a pioneer and innovator of pop rap by incorporating elements of freestyle music, and is the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status for an album. Throughout his career, Hammer has managed his own recording business. As a result, he has created and produced his own acts including Oaktown’s 3.5.7, Common Unity, Special Generation, Analise, One Cause One Effect, and more.

Michael Harris
Michael Harris is a businessman and philanthropist and the inspiration for several non-profit organizations while he was incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. Michael is best known for founding Death Row Records, one of the most iconic record labels in the history of music which included Tupac, Snoop, Dr Dre, and MC Hammer. Michael’s greatest impact has resulted from his work while was incarcerated, resurrecting and funding San Quentin News and helping to establish The Last Mile which has become the leading prison education program in the world.
Most recently, Michael created Community One World, a nonprofit organization that supports community organizations that focus on social justice and prison reform. Michael has also established Philanthropy TV (PTV), it is the first entertainment and media company that attracts, directs, and connects philanthropic dollars to causes, both nationwide and around the globe slated to be launched in FALL 2022. Harris now sits at the helm of the new Death Row Records as Chief Operating Officer.

Sway Calloway
Host of the top rated “Sway in the Morning” on SiriusXM. Already a vanguard radio personality, record producer and hip-hop artist, Sway joined the MTV News team in 2000 and has been front and center for some of music’s biggest moments. Sway is an integral part of MTV News’ annual live-event coverage of the MTV VMAs, Grammy pre-show and the EMAs. Sway also serves as an MTV Executive Producer and brings new programming ideas to the station. He also includes additional duties with MTV2 and host of the weekly MTV Radio syndication show that airs in over 50 plus cities across the country.
His work continues throughout the nation and community where he has been a part of various panels and discussions hosting and moderating on important issues like Hate Crimes, Racism and Education.

Peter Stern
Peter Stern has been a dedicated adviser to TLM, providing educational lectures inside San Quentin, hosting TLM team events, and providing mentorship to many TLM returned citizen graduates.
Peter Stern is currently the CFO for the Brooklyn Nets. Peter was previously the the Head of US investments for Alibaba

John Hamm
John Hamm has a diverse background as a technology CEO, a venture investor, and a leadership coach/advisor and Board member. Hamm has been an investor and Board member at Brocade (NASDAQ:BRCD), Ironport (acquired by Cisco), SiliconStor (acquired by LSI Logic), Documentum (acquired by EMC), Truveo (acquired by AOL), and Webify (acquired by IBM). From April, 2013 to August 2014, John was CEO of PonoMusic, a project founded by Neil Young, dedicated to restoring the quality of studio master music recordings for consumers who value audio/musical fidelity. John’s popular leadership book, “Unusually Excellent” (Wiley – Jossey Bass, 2010) is available in Kindle or hardback at Amazon.com. Hamm has been published in Fast Company, Business 2.0, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, and The WSJ.
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