And I Know You Too - 
Employer Testimonial

Uniting their passion of deep connection and transformation, Anne and Maryann Buchanan co-founded “And I Know You Too,” a screen-printing company that is venturing into tote bag manufacturing. This mother-daughter partnership hopes to build meaningful bonds and provide avenues of employment through artistic expression.

 

Having been a restorative justice practitioner for the past ten years, Anne became intrigued at the idea of fair chance practices for formerly incarcerated individuals. “I understand that there are many people impacted by the criminal justice system that don’t have a venue or way to work where they want to be in life.” Maryann, involved in the art industry for over a decade, longed to provide assistance to people getting started in the artworld by teaching skills in crafting and entrepreneurship. They joined forces to create a company that welcomes formerly incarcerated people to gain experience and find work in the art field.

 

Anne and Maryann were connected with H.I.R.E. while in search of sponsors and freelance artists. They then participated in H.I.R.E.’s annual Reentry Resource Fair designed to connect justice involved community members with employment, resources, education and legal assistance. As a vendor at the event, they made connections with other providers, and as a result have received an abundance of support and resources to help grow their business. Not only do they have access to trained and reliable candidates to fill their open positions, but they also utilize provider facilities to help grow their business. “Through H.I.R.E. we were able to meet them… It’s been an incredible relationship growing for about a year,” says Maryann. They have since hired three formerly incarcerated people that they met at the Reentry Resource Fair and are expanding their company operations.

 

And I Know You Too hopes to provide a space for system-impacted and formerly incarcerated artists to grow professionally and share their story through art. Anne and Maryann recognize how challenging it is to find a career path to support oneself after incarceration, so it is uplifting to access untapped potential through fair chance hiring practices. They are working towards offering meaning and purpose through personal growth, career advancement, and creative output.

 

If your company is hiring or would like to learn more about fair chance hiring, please contact H.I.R.E. to get involved!