Episode 37 - Alex Smith is the owner of Division Street Landscaping, which is entirely staffed by ex-offenders.
Alex Smith – Division Street Landscaping
Alex Smith is the owner of Division Street Landscaping, which is entirely staffed by ex-offenders. Alex started his journey while he was incarcerated. While serving a 30-year prison sentence for carjacking, assault, and handgun violations he was part of a group of guys who petitioned the warden for permission to start a horticulture program in prison. He became a Master Gardener behind bars and that program has now spread to other facilities in the state of Maryland. Now home, after serving 15 years of his 30-year sentence, he has created Urban Roots Apprenticeship a training program at the Baltimore Tree Trust where he served as the Director of Operations for five years. He has also created Division Street Academy under his own company with the goal of training guys in landscaping and entrepreneurship specifically in the landscaping industry. He also consults Workforce Development programs across the country that cater to the green job industry. He believes that there is a special kind of healing that takes place when the citizens of a community that once destroyed the community play a vital role in beautifying and maintaining those same places.