A Founder’s Felony Conviction Shaped His Approach to Leadership

After the conviction, Stiver said banks would not work with him and institutions flagged him. He chose to rebuild rather than let the past define him, and says he has since spent more than 12 years running businesses in regulated medical and telehealth sectors. He holds his employees to high standards, but says accountability has to begin with him as a founder.

For Stiver, a second chance is not a waiver of consequences. He advises leaders to distinguish among problems with skills, effort and integrity. Someone who is struggling but willing to learn may need support or a different role; a breach of ethical standards, he says, is a dealbreaker. He also favors hiring for character and potential, particularly valuing people who have overcome adversity.

Stiver says he employs hundreds of people and sees loyalty as a two-way obligation. Some employees have stayed with his businesses for a decade. His belief in second chances also led him to establish the Joey Stiver Foundation, which supports educational, entrepreneurial and second-chance opportunities. One initiative, the St. Dismas Accelerator, aims to provide formerly incarcerated adults and at-risk young people with seed capital, executive mentorship and AI training.

He says his own experience taught him that people can accept responsibility for past actions and still build a better future. That belief, he argues, can coexist with firm ethical standards: support growth and effort, but do not ignore a serious breach of trust.