“This program goes beyond giving back to the community,” says Wharton WORKS instructor Amélie Ha, WG’26. “It encapsulates the kind of institution and kind of society we’re trying to build and the kind of leader that we’re trying to educate.”

Since its inception, the Wharton Opportunities for Reentry, Knowledge, and Skills (WORKS) program has been making a positive social impact as part of the Opportunity Lab, housed within the Wharton Impact, Value, and Sustainable Business Initiative. Led by Professor of Management Damon J. Phillips, the WORKS program — in which students in the MBA Program teach business courses to incarcerated learners, mentor formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs, and help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society and the workforce — reached 60 justice-involved individuals earlier this year (up from 30 the previous year). Additionally, MBA student interest in Phillips’ prerequisite course, Reforming Mass Incarceration and the Role of Business, has grown more than 50%.

Four individuals who participated with WORKS while pursuing a Wharton MBA degree share their experiences as teachers and mentors to incarcerated learners and those reintegrating and starting their own businesses after release.

To learn more, read the full article here.

By Wharton Alumni Relations

Posted: August 28, 2026

MBA Program

Wharton Opportunities for Reentry, Knowledge, and Skills (WORKS)

In partnership with Resilience Education, WORKS creates pathways to economic mobility for individuals impacted by the justice system. With the support of Wharton MBA students and faculty, WORKS empowers the next generation of business leaders to address inequities in mass incarceration.

To learn more, visit Wharton’s Opportunity Lab.

Four stacked headshots of smiling professionals in business attire.
WORKS MBA participants (clockwise from top left) Amélie Ha, WG’26, Carley Mambuca, WG’27, Wes Suggs WG’26, and Perri Sucoff WG’27. (Image Credit: Courtesy of the Wharton School)

 

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