U.S. Chamber of Commerce
NBCUniversal
Microsoft
Alvarez & Marsal
Flagger Force
Sam's Club
Iceland Foods
Great Place to Work
Libro.fm
BNP Paribas
Deloitte
Fifth Third Bank
Kelly
Checkr
Frontier Co-op
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
U.S. Chamber of Commerce NBCUniversal Microsoft Alvarez & Marsal Flagger Force Sam's Club Iceland Foods Great Place to Work Libro.fm BNP Paribas Deloitte Fifth Third Bank Kelly Checkr Frontier Co-op National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
Microsoft
Frontier Co-op
Checkr
Sam's Club
NBCUniversal
BNP Paribas
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Deloitte
Great Place to Work
Alvarez & Marsal
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
Flagger Force
Fifth Third Bank
Libro.fm
Iceland Foods
Kelly
Microsoft Frontier Co-op Checkr Sam's Club NBCUniversal BNP Paribas U.S. Chamber of Commerce Deloitte Great Place to Work Alvarez & Marsal National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Flagger Force Fifth Third Bank Libro.fm Iceland Foods Kelly
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Flagger Force
Sam's Club
NBCUniversal
Frontier Co-op
Deloitte
Libro.fm
Fifth Third Bank
Microsoft
Iceland Foods
BNP Paribas
Great Place to Work
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
Checkr
Alvarez & Marsal
Kelly
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Flagger Force Sam's Club NBCUniversal Frontier Co-op Deloitte Libro.fm Fifth Third Bank Microsoft Iceland Foods BNP Paribas Great Place to Work National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Checkr Alvarez & Marsal Kelly
Flagger Force
NBCUniversal
BNP Paribas
Libro.fm
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Checkr
Great Place to Work
Fifth Third Bank
Sam's Club
Deloitte
Kelly
Microsoft
Alvarez & Marsal
Iceland Foods
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
Frontier Co-op
Flagger Force NBCUniversal BNP Paribas Libro.fm U.S. Chamber of Commerce Checkr Great Place to Work Fifth Third Bank Sam's Club Deloitte Kelly Microsoft Alvarez & Marsal Iceland Foods National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Frontier Co-op
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
BNP Paribas
Flagger Force
Sam's Club
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
NBCUniversal
Microsoft
Libro.fm
Frontier Co-op
Alvarez & Marsal
Deloitte
Checkr
Great Place to Work
Iceland Foods
Fifth Third Bank
Kelly
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition BNP Paribas Flagger Force Sam's Club U.S. Chamber of Commerce NBCUniversal Microsoft Libro.fm Frontier Co-op Alvarez & Marsal Deloitte Checkr Great Place to Work Iceland Foods Fifth Third Bank Kelly
A Defining Year for
Business & Justice
2025 Impact Report
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Microsoft
NBCUniversal
Alvarez & Marsal
Sam's Club
Fifth Third Bank
Kelly
Deloitte
Frontier Co-op
BNP Paribas
Checkr
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
Flagger Force
Libro.fm
Iceland Foods
Great Place to Work
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Microsoft NBCUniversal Alvarez & Marsal Sam's Club Fifth Third Bank Kelly Deloitte Frontier Co-op BNP Paribas Checkr National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Flagger Force Libro.fm Iceland Foods Great Place to Work
Microsoft
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
Alvarez & Marsal
NBCUniversal
Frontier Co-op
BNP Paribas
Checkr
Sam's Club
Deloitte
Great Place to Work
Fifth Third Bank
Kelly
Libro.fm
Flagger Force
Iceland Foods
Microsoft U.S. Chamber of Commerce National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Alvarez & Marsal NBCUniversal Frontier Co-op BNP Paribas Checkr Sam's Club Deloitte Great Place to Work Fifth Third Bank Kelly Libro.fm Flagger Force Iceland Foods
Libro.fm
Kelly
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Sam's Club
BNP Paribas
Iceland Foods
Frontier Co-op
Alvarez & Marsal
Flagger Force
Microsoft
Deloitte
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
NBCUniversal
Checkr
Great Place to Work
Fifth Third Bank
Libro.fm Kelly U.S. Chamber of Commerce Sam's Club BNP Paribas Iceland Foods Frontier Co-op Alvarez & Marsal Flagger Force Microsoft Deloitte National Basketball Social Justice Coalition NBCUniversal Checkr Great Place to Work Fifth Third Bank
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
BNP Paribas
Alvarez & Marsal
Libro.fm
Great Place to Work
Fifth Third Bank
Deloitte
NBCUniversal
Microsoft
Sam's Club
Checkr
Flagger Force
Kelly
Iceland Foods
Frontier Co-op
U.S. Chamber of Commerce National Basketball Social Justice Coalition BNP Paribas Alvarez & Marsal Libro.fm Great Place to Work Fifth Third Bank Deloitte NBCUniversal Microsoft Sam's Club Checkr Flagger Force Kelly Iceland Foods Frontier Co-op
BNP Paribas
Flagger Force
Great Place to Work
NBCUniversal
Microsoft
Iceland Foods
Frontier Co-op
Alvarez & Marsal
Deloitte
Sam's Club
Fifth Third Bank
Kelly
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Libro.fm
Checkr
BNP Paribas Flagger Force Great Place to Work NBCUniversal Microsoft Iceland Foods Frontier Co-op Alvarez & Marsal Deloitte Sam's Club Fifth Third Bank Kelly National Basketball Social Justice Coalition U.S. Chamber of Commerce Libro.fm Checkr
Frontier Co-op
Alvarez & Marsal
Microsoft
Sam's Club
BNP Paribas
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Iceland Foods
Checkr
Kelly
Deloitte
Great Place to Work
Flagger Force
NBCUniversal
National Basketball Social Justice Coalition
Libro.fm
Fifth Third Bank
Frontier Co-op Alvarez & Marsal Microsoft Sam's Club BNP Paribas U.S. Chamber of Commerce Iceland Foods Checkr Kelly Deloitte Great Place to Work Flagger Force NBCUniversal National Basketball Social Justice Coalition Libro.fm Fifth Third Bank
Letter from our CEO
Looking back at the start of 2025, I remember a sense of real uncertainty. Public conversations around fairness and inclusion in the business community were shifting, and it was not always clear how openly companies would continue to engage with these values.
As the year unfolded, however, it became clear that the rhetoric did not reflect reality.
Uncertainty gave way to validation, appreciation, and renewed confidence in RBIJ’s work. Throughout 2025, we created more opportunities than ever for businesses to lead on justice by shaping policy, strengthening hiring practices, and using their voices to influence public narratives — not only that, but those opportunities were met with unprecedented engagement. From record-breaking business attendance and sponsorship at our 2025 Workforce & Justice Summit in Seattle, to growing our business network to more than 774 companies, to closing the year with a transformative $1.5 million investment from Sam’s Club to scale this work even further, the message from the business community was unmistakable: their dedication to justice is genuine and durable.
This report captures a year of impact that did not slow down, even in the face of uncertainty. It is a testament to RBIJ's visionary supporters, our dedicated staff, and, most of all, our business partners who stood firm in their commitment to advocate for justice and embed it within their own organizations. I hope you’ll enjoy celebrating these wins with us and stay tuned for whatever 2026 might hold for our movement.
Let’s make justice our business,
Maha Jweied
CEO
By the Numbers
Our Growing Community
Everyone deserves respect, equality, fairness, and dignity under the law. Yet today’s criminal justice system too often does the opposite: over-criminalizing, discriminating, and trapping the most vulnerable in cycles of punishment and poverty.
This broken system doesn't just harm individuals; it causes businesses to lose access to talent, communities to weaken, and the economy at large to suffer.
At RBIJ, we believe businesses have a unique and powerful role in driving solutions to these systemic issues — and we help them do just that.
In 2025, our network of private sector partners grew stronger than ever as we empowered more businesses to advance critical policy reform initiatives, create meaningful employment pathways for justice-impacted individuals, and boldly champion these issues within their industries and communities.
774
Companies in RBIJ’s growing network of justice-engaged businesses*
551
CEOs partnered with RBIJ, taking a stand on critical issues
177
Businesses engaged in RBIJ’s policy and advocacy efforts, paving the way for systemic reform
145
Employers participated in RBIJ’s inclusive hiring initiatives, opening doors for justice-impacted talent
57
Companies used their platforms to shift narratives about justice, empowered by RBIJ
119
Nonprofit partners collaborated with RBIJ to amplify their impact and reach
70
Business members engaged in RBIJ’s Workforce & Justice Alliance
*Cumulative since RBIJ’s founding
2025 Workforce & Justice Summit
Hosted by
In 2025, RBIJ's annual flagship event, the Workforce & Justice Summit, drew a record 150 business leaders, policy experts, and justice reformers to Seattle, Washington. Together, they explored how changes in hiring and public policy can create a fairer justice system and a stronger, more resilient U.S. workforce.
Hosted by Microsoft at the Seattle Convention Center, this year’s Summit arrived against a backdrop of shifting hiring norms, an uncertain labor market, and growing questions about how consumers expect businesses to show up for their communities. Amid this uncertainty, business leaders at #WJSummit25 appeared in agreement that inclusive hiring and support for fairer justice policies are among the most powerful ways companies can strengthen their teams, earn public trust, and rise to today’s challenges.
27 Summit Sponsors
A Summit Connection That Became a Partnership
Representatives from Rézme and JBM Packaging met while attending and speaking at the summit — a connection that soon evolved into an important partnership.
“JBM Packaging, a leading fair-chance employer, partnered with Rézme, a hidden talent software company, to pilot a structured workflow to replace parts of their recruitment and interview processes with automated pre-screening, digital qualification assessments, and candidate profiles demonstrating rehabilitation. The pilot materially accelerated hiring velocity: time-to-fill for Filling & Kitting Associates dropped from approximately 10 days to next-day placement, while time-to-fill for Machine Operators decreased from 30 days to 10 days. In parallel, these new workflows enabled JBM to expand its network of community referral partners, illustrating how operational design can make fair chance hiring sustainable in high-volume environments.”
— Jodi Anderson Jr., Co-Founder and CEO of Rézme
Jodi Anderson Jr., Rézme
Amanda Hall, JBM Packaging
Save the Date!
In 2026, the W&J Summit Returns to London
Our next W&J Summit will take place on May 14, 2026 in London, marking our second time hosting in the U.K. Register your interest today.
Our Programmatic Work
Reforming Systems
When businesses speak out against injustice, change happens
In 2025, RBIJ mobilized 177 businesses across the U.S. and the U.K. to champion policy solutions that make criminal justice systems fairer and workforces stronger. Our strategic private sector advocacy helped drive passage of critical reforms in four U.S. states:
Alabama
RBIJ worked with a cohort of Alabama businesses, as well as the state’s Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, to support a bipartisan bill making occupational licenses more accessible to Alabamans with criminal records. We helped LunarLab and STRIVE to publicly back the legislation, while also equipping additional employers behind the scenes to privately voice their support to decision makers.
Illinois
RBIJ-supported business advocacy helped secure the Illinois legislature’s passage of Clean Slate, a policy that removes long-standing barriers to employment by automating the sealing of eligible criminal records. After more than three years working in Illinois to build up private sector support, in 2025 RBIJ successfully mobilized 10 businesses and networks — including the Corporate Coalition of Chicago, Flowers for Dreams, Mightybytes, Small Business Majority, Sweet Beginnings, and TOBY Agency — to advocate in favor of the measure. The new law, which went on to be signed by Governor JB Pritzker in January 2026, is expected to affect an estimated 1.74 million Illinois residents with eligible records.
Oklahoma
RBIJ helped mobilize businesses across Oklahoma to advance the May 2025 passage of House Bill 1460, legislation that eliminated unnecessary fees from the state’s justice system. As a result, thousands of justice-impacted Oklahomans were released from crushing debt, easing their reentry journeys and freeing up law enforcement resources to be refocused toward public safety. As part of this campaign, RBIJ collaborated with a diverse array of local leaders, including Oklahoma First Lady Sarah Stitt, who spoke on an RBIJ-Small Business Majority webinar in March, as well as the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the Fines & Fees Justice Center (FFJC), Arnold Ventures, and Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR).
RBIJ: Trusted for Policy Wins
“Clean Slate laws are good for business, and that case is most powerful when it comes from business leaders themselves.
We partner with RBIJ because they know how to recruit, equip, and mobilize private sector messengers to reach decision-makers at the right time. Their partnership was critical to our success in Illinois this year — and to the continued momentum for Clean Slate across the country.”
— Dr. Sheena Meade, CEO of the Clean Slate Initiative
Sheena Meade (in purple) at the signing of The Illinois Clean Slate Act.
Beyond These States
Beyond 2025’s legislative wins, RBIJ continued mobilizing companies across 17 additional states and at the federal level to advance policy solutions like Clean Slate laws, driver's license reform, and more.
Our policy work was met with strong interest from partners such as B Lab U.S. & Canada, which noted that Certified B Corporations can fulfill the “Collective Action” requirement of their new certification framework by partnering with RBIJ on policy reform efforts.
Advocacy in the U.K.
Throughout 2025, RBIJ continued to support the #FairChecks campaign, a movement to create a fairer and more proportionate U.K. criminal records system. A central priority of the campaign is wiping the slate clean for childhood offenses — a call RBIJ amplified by supporting an op-ed in Business News Wales by RBIJ Advisory Council member Paul Cowley MBE, Director of Rehabilitation at Iceland Foods. Later in the year, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy echoed that the U.K.’s criminal records disclosure system — which retains countless childhood offenses, often for life — is in urgent need of reform, reflecting growing momentum for change.
Additionally, RBIJ pushed back against overly punitive travel restrictions that block or limit travel between the U.S. and the U.K. for people with criminal records. In a letter to the editor published in The Observer, RBIJ supported CEO of Unlock Paula Harriott and RBIJ Advisory Council Member and President of JUMP Ken Oliver in elevating the business case for reforming these restrictions and calling on both governments to work together to do so.
Our Programmatic Work
Restoring Communities
When businesses open doors, workplaces become fairer
In 2025, RBIJ helped equip 145 employers across the U.S. and the U.K. to expand career opportunities for people with criminal records and those at risk of justice system involvement.
Resourcing Employers with RBIJ Tools and Expertise
In 2025, RBIJ built on the success of Unlock Potential, our award-winning pilot program for opportunity youth, and, with support from Sam’s Club, began translating our learnings from the program into scalable resources and in-house guidance to help more employers than ever implement inclusive hiring.
The first of these resources was RBIJ’s Employer Guide to Hiring Opportunity Youth, which offers actionable tips for hiring teams seeking to recruit young people who are not currently in school or working. This guide — and other RBIJ inclusive hiring resources — were used by dozens of companies in 2025.
With Sam’s Club’s support, we also began developing resources to help employers hire justice-impacted veterans, another critically underutilized talent pool. Our webinar, “From Service to Second Chances: The Role of Business in Veteran Reentry,” launched this expanded focus and will be the first in a series of webinars on inclusive hiring topics continuing into 2026.
In parallel, RBIJ expanded its technical assistance offerings for businesses, holding dozens of employer consultations to assess hiring practices, recommend improvements, connect employers to community partners, and identify opportunities for deeper learning.
Building Local Employer Momentum Through Partnership
Second Chance Hiring Alliance (SCHA): Washington, D.C.
In 2025, RBIJ partnered with the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) to educate D.C. employers on the value of Second Chance Hiring, recruit businesses into the Second Chance Hiring Alliance (SCHA), and strengthen workforce development pipelines connecting local employers with justice-impacted talent.
Through this partnership, RBIJ co-hosted two events with the SCHA: “Talent Beyond Barriers,” a business exchange offering employers practical insights and coaching on how to hire justice-impacted workers, and “Bridging Opportunity Gaps,” a cross-sector gathering exploring ways to improve workforce readiness programs and career opportunities for D.C.-area returning citizens. RBIJ also helped elevate the SCHA's visibility through earned media, including a Washington Informer op-ed with the Greater Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce, and supported the release of CCE’s publication, “From Incarceration to Inclusion: How D.C. Can Lead on Reentry Workforce Innovation.”
Delaware Equitable Hiring Initiative (DE EHI): Wilmington, DE
Launched in 2024, the Delaware Equitable Hiring Initiative (DE EHI) is a multi-year pilot powered by JPMorganChase and Capital One designed to create meaningful career opportunities for Wilmington’s “hidden workers” — individuals who are often screened out of hiring processes due to outdated systems or a lack of traditional credentials. In 2025, RBIJ continued to serve as DE EHI’s project manager and helped establish and train a network of employers committed to updating their hiring practices to more effectively reach this talent pool. Partnering with Jobs for the Future, RBIJ also provided individualized technical assistance to participating employers, assessing hiring goals, open roles, and barriers within recruitment processes, and developing tailored solutions to address them.
Throughout the year, RBIJ amplified the project through earned media and storytelling, including a Delaware Business Times op-ed with the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, to raise awareness of Delaware’s “hidden talent” and spotlighting the innovative businesses working to put that talent to work.
Supporting Fair Chance Hiring in the U.K.
In July, RBIJ convened business and legal leaders in London for a roundtable discussion exploring the parallels in Fair Chance Hiring in the U.K. and the U.S. Hosted by Alvarez & Marsal and moderated by Managing Director Phil Beckett, the discussion featured Paul Cowley MBE of Iceland Foods and Jeff Korzenik of Fifth Third Bank, who shared insights on labor shortages and the business case for expanding talent pipelines through Fair Chance Hiring.
RBIJ: Trusted for Unlocking Untapped Talent
"Second Chance Hiring is central to who we are, but we wanted to be sure we weren’t overlooking veterans with criminal records.
RBIJ helped us examine our recruitment process and connected us with a community partner focused on veteran talent. Knowing RBIJ is always there as a supporter, connector, and thought partner is encouraging."
— James Repenning, CEO & Founder of R&R Head Labs
Our Programmatic Work
Reframing Narratives
In 2025, RBIJ empowered 57 businesses to leverage their credibility and influence to publicly make the case that a justice system and workforce that treat people fairly are not just morally right, but strategically competitive.
In the Media
In 2025, earned media remained central to RBIJ’s narrative change strategy. We secured high-visibility placements for RBIJ thought leaders and business partners, reinforcing the message that fairness in the justice system strengthens businesses and the economy. Coverage appeared in outlets including:
Digital Storytelling
Beyond earned media, RBIJ also invested in digital storytelling. We produced and disseminated content spotlighting leading employers across our own channels and empowered businesses to share directly with their audiences — reaching customers, employees, peers, and community leaders.
RBIJ: Trusted to Elevate Business Voices
"As the owner of a small business that strongly believes in second chances, I have an important story to share. But as a hands-on leader, it’s hard to find the time and capacity to seek out and seize every opportunity for impact.
RBIJ has helped by creating real platforms for SugarBot — on stage, like at the 2025 International Baking Industry Exposition, in the media, and more. Our reach and impact are bigger because of our partnership with the amazing folks at RBIJ."
— Jackie Huebbe, Owner of SugarBot Sweet Shop & Creamery
On the Stage
Throughout 2025, RBIJ regularly placed its leaders and business partners on national and regional stages, reaching business decision-makers, policymakers, and media. We also convened our own events, leveraging RBIJ’s role as a trusted connector among business leaders and justice reform advocates. Key moments from 2025 included:
London, U.K.: RBIJ CEO Maha Jweied (left) speaks on the opening panel for the "Justice for All Series" at the Old Bailey.
Atlanta, GA: Down North Pizza founder Muhammad Abdul-Hadi signs copies of his new memoir-cookbook at "Purpose in Profit: A Conversation About Food, Justice, and Second Chances," an event co-hosted by RBIJ, Down North, and Café Momentum.
Washington, D.C.: RBIJ CEO Maha Jweied speaks at the Council on Criminal Justice Member Summit.
Geneva, Switzerland: RBIJ hosts an official side event, "Investing in Justice: How Socially Responsible Investment Can Impact Justice Outcomes," at Alvarez & Marsal during the annual U.N. Forum on Business and Human Rights.
New Orleans, LA: RBIJ Director of Inclusive Hiring Caz Walcott (right) speaks at JFF Horizons 2025 about how public policies influence employer adoption of Second Chance Hiring practices.
Pittsburgh, PA: RBIJ staff participated in four panel discussions at the National Reentry Workforce Collaborative's annual conference.
Columbus, OH: RBIJ Senior Manager for Impact & Belonging Camieka Woodhouse-Willis spoke on a panel with Ed Design Lab at the annual National Returning Citizens Conference.
Philadelphia, PA: RBIJ CEO Maha Jweied joined the panel, "Fruits of Labor — Pathways from Prison to Prosperity," at JustUs Ideas Week.
Chicago, IL: Members of RBIJ's Policy & Advocacy team spoke at The Clean Slate Initiative's Annual Convening.
San Quentin, CA: RBIJ CEO Maha Jweied (second from left) speaks on a panel inside California's San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, organized by RBIJ, Virgin Unite, and The Last Mile.
Business Voices for Justice:
The Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty Campaign Wins Ragan CSR Award for Cause Advocacy Campaign
RBIJ’s Business Leaders Against the Death Penalty campaign continues to demonstrate the power of business voices in creating more humane systems of justice.
In 2025, the campaign received a Ragan CSR Award in the Cause Advocacy Campaign category and continued to attract national and international media attention, including coverage in The Times Picayune, Sacramento Bee, and Deseret News.
This visibility fueled continued growth: more than 150 new executives joined the campaign in 2025, bringing the total to nearly 600 signatories of the Business Leaders’ Declaration Against the Death Penalty.
Business Voices for Justice:
New “Rewriting Justice” Series Brings Authors and Executives Together for Conversations About Reform
In 2025, RBIJ and Libro.fm launched “Rewriting Justice,” a conversation series that brings together renowned authors — many with lived experience or deep expertise in the justice system — and influential business leaders driving change today.
The inaugural Rewriting Justice conversation took place during RBIJ’s 2025 Workforce & Justice Summit in Seattle and featured New York Times bestselling author Lara Love Hardin in dialogue with Michelle Cirocco, Chief Executive Officer of the Televerde Foundation and Chief Impact Officer of Televerde. Later that year, on World Day Against the Death Penalty, the second installment was released featuring author Jarvis Jay Masters, who is currently fighting a death sentence in on California.
Thank You!
RBIJ’s work depends on the generosity of our funders, the leadership of our campaign collaborators, and the steadfast commitment to justice from our business partners.
Make justice your business in 2026 — connect with our team or make a gift to support our mission below.
