A gray-market venture begun at twenty shaped a founder's code on second chances
A gray-market peptide and steroid company begun at twenty years old, and the felony conviction that followed, shaped one founder's leadership code, an Entrepreneur contributor wrote in November 2026. The author then spent more than twelve years in regulated medical and telehealth sectors, now employs hundreds of people and created the Joey Stiver Foundation, whose St. Dismas Accelerator offers seed capital to formerly incarcerated adults.
That early venture carried a cost that never appeared on any balance sheet. Banks refused the author as a client, institutions flagged the name, and the best part of a decade went into rebuilding. The same price now sets the terms inside the companies: employees who struggle get support, but any ethical breach ends the relationship immediately, a line drawn by someone who learned what cutting corners costs.
Source: Entrepreneur · November 10, 2026