Mike Feinberg Creates Entrepreneurial Pathways for Justice-Involved Youth

Beyond traditional education and workforce training, educational innovator Mike Feinberg has developed specialized programs addressing the unique needs of justice-involved youth through entrepreneurial skills development and supportive workplace experiences.

Through Texas School Venture Fund, established in 2018, Feinberg launched Project Remix Ventures at Harris County Juvenile Probation Department’s Opportunity Center, where high school students with justice system involvement can simultaneously earn academic credentials and develop vocational skills.

What distinguishes this initiative is its integration of entrepreneurial opportunities with educational services. Program participants can work as contract employees or interns for microbusinesses, creating products they learned to make during vocational training.

“Our kids are all involved in the juvenile justice system, and a large majority have also been involved in the Child Protective Services system,” explains program director Vanessa Ramirez. “Project Remix Ventures allows us to continue to provide guardrails until they’re equipped with the life skills to make that transition.”

The program currently involves revenue from five e-commerce businesses, providing participants with income while strengthening essential workplace skills in a supportive environment where mistakes become learning opportunities rather than employment-ending failures.

This specialized approach represents just one component of Feinberg’s comprehensive ecosystem addressing diverse educational and workforce needs. Through interconnected initiatives including WorkTexas, Neighborhood Schools, and Neighborhood Preschools, the workforce development advocate has created diverse pathways to economic mobility spanning early childhood through adult education.

By focusing on populations traditionally underserved by conventional educational approaches, Feinberg demonstrates how targeted interventions can simultaneously address critical social challenges while developing valuable workforce skills that benefit both participants and the broader community.