In the world of non-profits and social entrepreneurship, passion fuels the mission, but funding keeps the lights on. For Ben and Jess Owen, founders of We Fight Monsters, this reality recently hit hard, leading to a pivotal moment of reinvention. Facing the closure of their beloved job skills program, Gangland Express, and the unsustainability of their free store, Hood Mart, Ben Owen is not retreating. Instead, he’s launching a bold new initiative: Ben’s Business Building Bootstrap Bootcamp.

The Challenge: When Passion Meets Financial Reality

The journey began with Gangland Express, a job skills workshop designed to teach trade skills like woodworking to ex-convicts, gang members, foster youth, and trafficking survivors. Operating out of a 10,000-square-foot warehouse, the program aimed to give marginalized individuals a tangible way to build a new life. Alongside it ran Hood Mart, a "free Goodwill" where those starting over could get everything from clothes to kitchenware without spending a dime.

Despite the profound impact on individuals like Dalton Richie—a former foster youth and inmate who found family and purpose through woodworking—the financial model proved unsustainable. "We applied for every workforce development and community development grant we could find and got passed over for all of them," Ben explains. The venture was losing five figures a month, a burn rate impossible to maintain for a non-profit already fighting addiction and trafficking on the front lines.

The Pivot: Problems into Opportunities

Faced with a $3,500 monthly rent, utility bills, and zero revenue from the empty warehouse space, Ben decided against panic. "If you know me, I'm not afraid of problems," he states. "We're pivoting because we've built businesses from scratch before."

The new plan is to transform the empty warehouse space into a for-profit business that will funnel revenue directly back into We Fight Monsters' non-profit work. But Ben isn’t just building a business in the dark; he’s inviting the world to watch.

What is the Business Building Bootstrap Bootcamp?

This new initiative is a real-time documentary and educational experience. Ben will document the entire process of building a new business from the ground up—brainstorming, bootstrapping, building, and launching—with almost no startup capital.

• Real-Time Access: Participants will see the good, the bad, the creative, and the gritty reality of starting a business.

• No Fluff: This isn't a theoretical course. It's "one guy... trying to solve a problem with purpose and hustle and not a lot of cash."

• Accessible Pricing: For those interested solely in the business aspect, access is priced at $49.99 a month. Existing Owen Army members get full access included with their membership.

Why It Matters

This pivot represents more than just a new revenue stream; it's a testament to resilience. It mirrors the very lessons We Fight Monsters teaches its beneficiaries: that failure isn't the end, but fuel for the next chapter. By transparently showing the struggle and the hustle required to build something from nothing, Ben hopes to inspire others while securing a sustainable future for the organization’s critical work in fighting addiction and poverty.

As Ben puts it, this is about "turning failure into fuel." It’s an invitation to witness the grit required to make a difference and to learn how to build a life—or a business—when the odds are stacked against you.