Page 18 - 2023 Westchester County Economic Development Guide
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Cultivating and Advancing Talent ConConnect
Modernizing the Reentry Process
ConConnect connects justice-impacted people with service providers and employers instantly, and in real-time, through networking technology.
Founded in 2021, Yonkers- based ConConnect is
a Techstars and Cox Communications Enterprise-backed company that’s modernizing the reentry process for formerly incarcerated people. Its suite of tools provides a LinkedIn style hiring experience by connecting justice-impacted individuals in real time with the services and employers they need through a professional networking platform.
Featured on PBS and CNN, ConConnect’s core product streamlines pre-release and
reentry tasks for caseworker-driven organizations and correctional facilities, via easy-to-use technology.
through the reentry journey with
the help of social workers, and then working as a social worker myself.
I wanted to build something for caseworkers to provide their own “LinkedIn” experience. ConConnect helps organizations learn about and engage with talent before hiring, while screening out any candidates whose past convictions may conflict with a prospective role. Amazon and New York Sports Club are among our growing list of employers.
Why did you base the company
in Westchester?
I was born and raised in Yonkers and still make my home here. Communities are expanding quickly here. is growth has helped more people get to know about us much faster.
Talk about your relationship with
the BCW.
I am happy to work with the Business Council of Westchester and I was excited to be recently awarded the Westchester Innovation Network (WIN) Grant. e WIN program has been phenomenal – it has helped
us develop new products targeted towards different partners. Beyond focusing on employers, we’ll be broadening our focus to housing management as well. We want to be able to reach formerly incarcerated tenants through the social workers in their buildings.
What’s in store for 2023?
We’re currently in 10 states, and we want to create more of a national presence to connect our users to high-skilled, creative and leadership positions. 2023 is all about expansion.
ConConnect
by the Numbers
• 220 community partners • 100+ employers
• 60 different services
• 1,000 job postings
Above: Daniel Justiniano, Director of Operations, and Andre Peart, Founder and CEO of ConConnect, which aims help the formerly incarcerated to rebuild their lives.
Founder and CEO Andre Peart established ConConnect aer confronting his own reentry challenges upon serving five years in New York state prison on weapons and drug charges. Here, Peart, who is a graduate of the Westchester County Element 46 Accelerator program, sheds light on this innovative platform.
What was the inspiration for creating ConConnect?
I came up with the idea in 2020. I was still living in a homeless shelter and thinking about my own prison experience, getting out and going
© Courtesy of ConConnect
© Courtesy of ConConnect
