When Valerie Ochoa introduces herself today, she does so as a tech sales executive, homeowner, business owner and advocate for fair chance hiring.
But her journey to success began with significant challenges.
Growing up in a working-class community impacted by poverty and violence, Valerie faced obstacles from an early age. As a teenager, she became involved with the wrong crowd. Over the years, she found herself trapped in a cycle of incarceration and reentry that felt impossible to break.
“It was so surreal,” Valerie recalls. “I remember walking back into the gates of Perryville and thinking to myself, really? We’re doing this again?”
For years, Valerie found herself returning to the same environment she had left behind. After serving time, she would come home determined to start over, only to encounter the same barriers that had contributed to her struggles in the first place.
Everything changed during her final incarceration.
Determined to create a different future, Valerie immersed herself in programming and workforce development opportunities. She began working with Televerde, a global sales and marketing company that creates career pathways for incarcerated women. Starting as a sales development representative, Valerie quickly discovered talents she never knew she had.
“Boy, I never knew that was going to change my life forever,” she shared.
At the same time, Valerie participated in reentry services through Arouet Foundation. Through job readiness support and transition services, she began preparing not only for release, but for a new life.
“It was the first time I really thought about who was Valerie,” she said. “What does Valerie stand for? Having that community there prior to release was instrumental because I knew I wasn’t going to be alone.”
Valerie’s story is exactly why Valley of the Sun United Way launched the Fair Chance Collaborative. Supported by JPMorganChase, the initiative brings together employers, community organizations, educational institutions and workforce partners to help justice-impacted individuals access employment opportunities, supportive services and pathways to economic mobility. Through the Fair Chance Collaborative, Valley of the Sun United Way partners with and supports organizations like Televerde and Arouet.
The need for this work is significant. Arizona has the eighth highest incarceration rate in the nation. The number one predictor of returning to prison is joblessness, yet people with a criminal record experience unemployment rates up to five times higher than the national average. At the same time, 69% of employers report difficulty filling open positions. Fair chance hiring helps bridge that gap, creating opportunities for individuals while strengthening our workforce.
The impact is clear. Since launching, the Fair Chance Collaborative has engaged more than 40 community organizations and nearly 50 employers, helping nearly 900 individuals access support services and connecting more than 218 people to full-time employment.
“Having somebody who is at the forefront of business making these types of investments goes to show how invested they are in people,” Valerie shared.
Today, Valerie’s life looks very different than she once imagined. Within a year of her release, she purchased a home. She became a business owner. And she now advocates for fair chance hiring as both a second-chance hire and a leader who has hired others with justice involvement.
“All you need to do is give that person a chance.” Valerie said smiling, with tears of gratitude. “The support from your program, it changed my life. It’s going to make a huge difference for our whole community.”
