From Prison to Powering the Future: One Man’s Return to Innovation

When Jay was released from federal prison, he was sent to Pioneer Fellowship House, a residential reentry center (RRC) in Seattle operated by Pioneer Human Services where individuals serve out the remainder of their sentence back in the community. Pioneer operates all four RRC’s in the state to assist returning citizens make a successful transition from incarceration to life in the community.

Jay was released to the Pioneer Fellowship House not knowing what to expect. He had previously experienced a very illustrious career in technology before being incarcerated – and now he was entering back into the world.

He shared, “I am grateful for the opportunity Pioneer Fellowship House afforded me, under director, Trinetta Thompkins. At first, I did not understand the need for a place to transition from the incarcerated environment to freedom. However, looking back, there is simply no way that I would now be successful again without the support and encouragement from director Thompkins; case manager Benjamin Cournoyer; and Jennifer Porter, CEO of Argo Global.”

“I never would have entered back into the technology world after my previous experience if not for these three individuals. I also never imagined the daily stress of life and all the decisions I would have to make after my release,” Jay said. “You are stripped of all that while incarcerated. Pioneer Fellowship House is by far the best thing that could have happened in my life post incarceration.”

A Life in Technology

In 1986 when Jay was still in grade school, he developed a chipset that he used to build an 8-bit Nintendo video game. This would become his first “world standard” and set a new business model that is still used today. Then in 1995 Jay graduated from high school and opened his first computer company, Bytes and Bits Inc. He had a natural gift for computer engineering that he learned from firsthand experience.

He went on to develop a process to allow third third-party companies to develop software on Nintendo’s platform, making their security protocols inert without violating Nintendo’s patents. At the international Comdex conference, he demonstrated his chip to EPYX, a video game developer and the publisher of the game *Impossible Mission* on the verge of bankruptcy. Jay used all his money to exclusively license *Impossible Mission II* for a one-million-dollar royalty advance and indemnified the licensor from any lawsuit Nintendo might pursue challenging his work around their patent.

Jay stated, “I then manufactured and built the very first third-party licensed product here in the United States in a small town, Sanford, North Carolina, and also developed a color handheld game player called the LYNX and built that for EPYX who licensed it to ATARI.”

“I went on to develop numerous technologies which eventually became “world standards” that are used today – meaning they became the standard that all other companies develop off of,” he said.

Opportunity After Incarceration

When Jay was incarcerated due to securities fraud charges with his wireless company, Jennifer Porter, CEO of Argo Global, reached out to him regarding a business idea she was working on. They had met 22 years prior on the set of the hit television show, CSI Miami, when Jay was installing Wi-Fi to help promote the show.

Jay said, “After I went to prison, Jennifer reached out and shared with me that her family wanted to start an energy company. It would be dedicated to solving the problems that huge tech companies were creating with the development of hyper-scale data centers.”

Hyper-scale data centers are massive, highly scalable facilities designed for immense cloud, AI, and big data workloads. “The problem is that one of these center’s is so energy intensive it would require its own power plant to operate. Jennifer pitched the idea of me coming to work for her and her family developing a new hybrid model power plant that would revolutionize the data center infrastructure,” Jay commented.

Jennifer met with Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Probation when she was pursuing Jay to come work with her family’s business. Once he was released to Pioneer Fellowship House, Jennifer met with Director Thompkins to discuss her hope in hiring Jay.

“Director Thompkins understood the benefit for me if I accepted Jennifer’s offer. She really encouraged me to use my skill set skill set as an engineer and push my boundaries. She told me not to let my past dark period define my current actions or use it as a crutch,” said Jay. 

Designing a Hybrid Power Plant
With the support and encouragement from those around him, Jay overcame his self-doubt and fears, and started working with other engineers on the design of a hybrid model power plant that utilizes the power of the sun for the extra energy needed.

Trinetta Thompkins shared, “We are incredibly proud of Jay and the innovation he represents. His work as an engineer, developing a solar-based system that has the potential to transform how we harness energy from the sun, reflects not only his talent – but his determination to build a better future.” She added, “At Pioneer Fellowship House, we believe in second chances and the power of change. He exemplifies what can happen when someone is given the opportunity, support, and structure to redirect their gifts in a positive way. He is truly a model resident and a testament to what is possible.”

Every day, Jay now works with other engineers and industry leaders that tell him how much his work means to them. “That always makes me feel grateful and I think that I would have been nothing without the leadership of Thompkins, Cournoyer and Porter in my life,” he stated.

Benjamin Cournoyer said, “Jay came to Pioneer Fellowship House willing and ready to go. He is truly inspiring in all he is doing for the community and world at large. His innovation, generosity and passion for his work is apparent. Jay has the same passion for his family, children and grandchildren who are behind him 100 percent.” He added, “Jay has truly risen the bar to what someone can accomplish after releasing from incarceration. It is a remarkable story and this all started in the common area of his unit at Pioneer Fellowship House. Jay exemplifies what is possible when you are driven to change your life and the world.”

Jay’s Inspiring Words to Other Returning Citizens
“I encourage anyone who finds themselves coming out of a dark time of their lives to communicate and be open, and if you are lucky enough to find your way to Pioneer Fellowship House, never discount the gift God gave you in sending you there,” concluded Jay.