Barred Business Expands Programs to Support Justice-Impacted Individuals

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, October 1, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Barred Business, an Atlanta-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization involved in advocacy and economic justice, has expanded its programs and campaigns to benefit residents, businesses, and communities across Georgia and the United States. Founded in 2020 by Bridgette "Bri" Simpson, the organization has grown from an emergency response for justice-impacted entrepreneurs into a broader force for community organizing, policy advocacy, civic engagement, workforce development, housing support, and economic justice.

During 2026, Q. 4, and 2027, the staff plans to further develop the organization’s philanthropic programs and activations with expanded workforce development and housing support initiatives, the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program for formerly incarcerated Black women, and new phases of economic justice work through the BEST (Building Economic Security Together), EARN (Economic Access and Resilience Network), and ECOSYS (Ecosystem Scenario Strategy) campaigns.

Barred Business began in 2020, when Simpson responded to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on justice-impacted entrepreneurs. After many business owners with criminal histories were excluded from federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) relief, Barred Business partnered with the ACLU and others to advocate for the removal of Question 5 from the PPP borrower application regarding criminal history and pending charges. The organization also raised $100,000+ and distributed 115 emergency grants to entrepreneurs who had been excluded from federal relief.

The organization expanded beyond emergency assistance into longer-term system change. In 2022, Barred Business launched the S.T.A.B.L.E. Program, which provides organizing and leadership training, housing, and economic empowerment for formerly incarcerated Black women. The program has supported more than 213 women, with 93% achieving long-term financial security, and it will continue to grow as part of the organization’s broader expansion of housing, workforce, and economic empowerment initiatives.

That same year, Simpson spearheaded the Protected Class Campaign, working with a coalition of civil rights and impacted organizations to advance legal protections for formerly incarcerated people. As a result, the Atlanta City Council unanimously voted on October 17, 2022, to recognize formerly incarcerated people as a protected class, making Atlanta the first city in the United States to enact this type of civil rights law. The victory became known as the "Atlanta Model," and Barred Business later launched the Protected Class Network to help other communities pursue similar protections.

Barred Business continues to coordinate Protected Class organizing in Georgia and more than a dozen states, with new ordinances being introduced or developed in numerous locales.

Release the Vote, Barred Business's campaign to restore voting rights and political power to justice-impacted people, has grown into a major part of Barred Business’ civic engagement. It combines voter education, local canvassing, workshops, and community organizing to help justice-impacted people participate in elections and exercise their civic power. Through initiatives such as the Part of the Solution Festival and outreach across Georgia, Barred Business has reached more than 118,000 justice-impacted voters through voter education and support and will continue for future election cycles.

Barred Business also expanded Release the Vote into a 16-county organizing strategy focused on rural communities across Georgia. The effort brings together local organizing, leadership development, voter education, and strategic partnerships to build year-round civic engagement rather than limiting outreach to election season. Plans involve state and nationwide growth.

On the economic front, the BEST, EARN, and ECOSYS programs share one goal: to build stability, economic security, and opportunity for justice-impacted people, especially Black families. Barred Business will continue to address mass probation, fines and fees, and job restrictions that block economic mobility.

These efforts reflect how Barred Business has evolved since 2020, pairing direct support with organizing and policy change so justice-impacted people are not simply served by systems but have a role in changing them.