The story of two different Denvers | Stacey Putka + Javay Raibon | TEDxSanQuentin 2022

What do a beauty pageant contestant and an incarcerated former gang member have in common? Listen as Stacey and Javay share how their individual circumstances impacted their childhood dreams and their ability to fulfill them. Stacey believes fiercely in challenging perceptions and in the power of transformation. Growing up in an entrepreneurial household, with a father who took full advantage of his second chance in life after recovering from addiction, Stacey has always been inspired to facilitate transformation in the lives of others. Stacey received a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Colorado State University and a master’s in social work from the University of Denver. She is currently the Executive Director of Breakthrough, a Colorado based 501c3 non-profit organization that prides itself in supporting people with criminal histories as they transform their lives and radically altering the community’s perception of the incarcerated population. Breakthrough’s holistic approach includes an in-facility career education program, community engagement, re-entry support, a fair opportunity hiring program, and criminal justice advocacy initiatives. Javay was a student star athlete with a promising future that was thwarted by engagement with Los Angeles style gangs that invaded Denver in the 1980s. Javay is the longest incarcerated juvenile in the state of Colorado, serving 33 years in prison. With no formal education, Javay made a commitment to liberating himself from the gang ideology and began to seek education. He has his GED and is pursuing education at Northeast Junior College. He began to excel in the various positions of leadership and credits programs such as 7 habits of highly effective people, the Gang Awareness program, and Breakthrough for developing the skills he has now. He has made clear, transformative change in his own life and the lives of others.