Bundles Scholar Ray Tebout Is Moving the Justice-Impacted Workforce Toward Business Partnerships
Ray Tebout’s Vision-to-Value concept combines project leadership, personal behavioral reflection, and intrapreneurship to create business value.
On March 25, community members, Columbia University students, and local scholars gathered at the Lee C. Bollinger Forum for a conversation led by A'Lelia Bundles Community Scholar Ray Tebout.
His Vision-to-Value program is a groundbreaking initiative designed to move justice-impacted individuals from "individual talent" to essential business partners. By bridging the gap between lived experience and strategic business acumen, the program unlocks a massive underutilized source of leadership and innovation.
During the event, Tebout explored his approach to building entrepreneurial thinking while justice system-impacted people are working. Through intrapreneurship, project management, and strategic coaching, program participants learn how to navigate organizations, communicate effectively with decision-makers, plan and deliver work, and turn ideas into projects that leaders notice and support.
The impact of Vision-to-Value is best seen through participants like A.T. who entered prison at age 34, unable to read or write. Through the program, he earned a 35-hour Project Management Institute certificate of achievement and learned to navigate chaos through structured planning and risk management. He now uses the skills he learned to lead peer education initiatives that create value even within a restrictive environment.
Columbia’s School of Professional Studies (SPS) recently launched a complementary initiative, the Career Catalyst Internship program, which offers employment and career development at SPS for justice-involved young people. This innovative program was created in 2024 and is led by SPS Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs Zelon Crawford, who was also in attendance.
Check out the photos below from the March 25 event!
About the Speaker
Ray Tebout has dedicated his career to unlocking the leadership potential of justice-impacted talent, developing his approach through work in both correctional and community-based settings. He holds a B.A. in psychology and economics from City University of New York. He is completing a Master's in Human Resources and holds trainer-level credentials in Human Resources, Project Management, and Addiction Treatment. He leads MindFrame Talent Development Solutions, where he helps organizations build talent pipelines and strengthen workforce performance. He serves on the boards of the Fortune Society and the Petey Greene Program.
Learn More About the Bundles Scholars
Interested in joining the A'Lelia Bundles Community Scholars program at Columbia? You can find more information about the program and application, which closes tomorrow, here.