Empowerment Labor Specialists

Empowerment Labor Specialists LLC: 

A Mission-Driven Company Rebuilding Lives and Communities

Empowerment Labor Specialists LLC is a Colorado-based, multi-trade contracting company that exists for far more than just profit. Founded and operated by Jeremiah Koval, a man who has served 14 years behind bars and holds 12 felony convictions, our company was built with a higher purpose—one rooted in redemption, restoration, and real change.

Our Mission and Advocacy:

At its core, Empowerment Labor is a mission-driven business that exists to interrupt the cycle of incarceration and give people with records a real second chance. We don’t just hire workers—we mentor, support, and walk alongside individuals coming out of the Colorado Department of Corrections, halfway houses, and sober-living homes. We give people with criminal records, trauma histories, and broken support systems not just jobs, but a real shot at building a new life.

Jeremiah knows the struggle firsthand: the stigma, the mental health toll, the overwhelming PTSD, and the sense of abandonment after release. The system doesn’t prepare people for life outside. In fact, it often sets them up to fail.

The Recidivism Crisis:

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, within five years of release, about 76% of formerly incarcerated individuals are rearrested, and 55% return to prison. The reason? Lack of opportunity. Roughly 60% of employers are hesitant to hire individuals with felony convictions. And the road to stable housing isn’t any easier—former inmates are nearly 10 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population. This cycle burdens communities, overwhelms law enforcement, and traps families in generational trauma.

Empowerment Labor is fighting back against these numbers by providing not just work—but a full reintegration pathway. We are building a new model.

Our Vision for Change:

With support from local nonprofits, the State of Colorado, the Small Business Administration, and federal programs, we are creating a full-scale ecosystem of support. We’re more than contractors—we’re a community-driven intervention program that offers:

• Employment with livable wages and skill-building across multiple trades

• Certified peer coaching and addiction recovery support

• Financial literacy and life-skills development

• Reintegration case management

• Mental health support and accountability partnerships

• Restorative justice and community service engagement

• Health and wellness resources.

• A positive, brotherhood-like job site culture built on second chances.

Placing these essential services in the hands of people who’ve lived it not only makes them more effective—it also helps ease the load on overwhelmed law enforcement and probation systems. With fewer people returning to prison, we make our neighborhoods safer, more stable, and more compassionate.

How the Community Can Support:

• Our model works—but we can’t do it alone. To continue providing opportunity and building futures, we need our community’s support. Here’s how you can help:

• Hire Us – Property managers, real estate agents, homeowners, businesses: keep us working. Every contract keeps our people employed and empowered.

• Donate – Help us fund the wraparound services that make real change possible.

• Partner With Us – We’re seeking support from investors, fix-and-flip developers, and local governments who see the value in building both property and people.

• Spread the Word – Share our mission, challenge the stigma, and help reshape the narrative about those with criminal records.

• Offer Opportunities – We need fix & flip properties for hands-on training and skill development. It’s not just about rebuilding structures—it’s about rebuilding trust, confidence, and community.

We believe that a man holding a hammer with pride and purpose is no longer a threat to society—but a builder of it. Empowerment Labor Specialists LLC is proof that hard work and community can restore lives.

We are not defined by our past. With your help, we’ll continue proving that.

Visit www.empowermentlabor.com to learn more or get involved.