Vegan Jamaican soul food and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ soaps make up MORTAR’s first class

"It has been a whirlwind," Allen Woods told me. "It's really cool to be a part of their success wherever they are and watching them start to get it is rewarding in itself – watch them flourish and see lightning bolt moments happen. It's been a good experience for us to be a part of the process." "There's a really broad range of businesses and they all have the potential of really growing," Woods said. "Of those students, two have had previous incarcerations, two have been homeless, two of them have physical locations for their business already."