About

What is EWOP?

A Texas nonprofit helping incarcerated women prepare for life after prison — through leadership, entrepreneurship, and lasting reentry support.

Inside the unit

Leadership, character, and a written business plan before release.

Beyond the gates

Mentorship, employment connections, and a community that stays.

Aggie EWOP · est. 2025

Texas A&M’s student chapter — four pillars supporting the women of EWOP.

EWOP program session
The program

How transformation unfolds

From the first session inside the unit to life after release, the year is built so women leave with a plan — and a community behind them.

01

Purpose & leadership

Character, communication, and personal accountability inside the unit.

02

Business plan & pitch

College-level entrepreneurship ending in a shark-tank style presentation.

03

Graduation

A ceremony that honors the year of growth — and prepares women for release.

04

Life after release

Housing, work, mentorship, and alumni community when it matters most.

>10,500 women incarcerated in Texas — the most of any state
~1,100 women apply to the EWOP program each cycle
~80 women are selected into the program
89/100 current participants are mothers
Women in the EWOP program at the unit
Who qualifies

Eligibility

  • ✓ Close to parole
  • ✓ High school diploma or GED

Of roughly 1,100 applicants each cycle, about 80 women are chosen — and 89 of the program's 100 current participants are mothers.

Where we come from

Our history

From a women's pilot in Lockhart to Aggie EWOP at Texas A&M — the milestones that got us here.

2017

A women's pilot begins

Leaders adapt Texas’s Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) to serve incarcerated women.

2018

First pilot class

44 women participate at the Gregory S. Coleman Unit in Lockhart.

2019

EWOP is founded

EWOP launches as its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to women.

2020

Classes begin

The in-prison leadership and entrepreneurship program starts serving women.

2025

Aggie EWOP is founded

Texas A&M’s student chapter forms around Research & Education, Marketing, Partnerships, and Fundraising.

Sept 2025

First Aggie Day

Aggie EWOP’s first prison visit brings students inside to meet women in the program.

First Aggie Day
Dr. Shannon Deer
Faculty advisor

Dr. Shannon Deer

Faculty Advisor · Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs & Clinical Associate Professor