From Prison to Prosperity: Ken Johnson’s Real Talk Story Anchors Joseph Business School Panel

Dr. Deloris Thomas with JBS faculty, stakeholders, etc.
Dr. Deloris Thomas with JBS faculty, stakeholders, etc.

From Prison to Prosperity: Ken Johnson’s Real Talk Story Anchors Joseph Business School Panel During the Recent Chicago City Treasurer’s Building Wealth Summit JBS Alumni Aaron Franklin Shares How the Christian-based School Helped His Music Schools Grow


JBS Spring 2026 Entrepreneurship Program Opens Enrollment: Early Deadline December 31; Final Application Deadline January 26

CHICAGO – Kenneth Johnson is as real as it gets. After serving three prison sentences, he vowed during his third stint that he would never go back. Determined to rebuild his life, Johnson tried the family restaurant business, maintenance work, and construction, but none of those jobs fit. At 50, he took a leap of faith and opened Bro-N-Laws Bar-B-Que in the city’s West Humboldt Park neighborhood.

The early years were rough. He lost nearly $30,000 in a failed property renovation, and his wife told him bluntly: “You run your business like a hustle.” That challenge pushed Johnson to enroll at the Joseph Business School (JBS), where he learned to abandon survival tactics and embrace structured business practices rooted in biblical principles. The transformation was dramatic — his revenues grew past $1 million, and the “sweet smell of success” replaced the hustle.

Johnson shared his journey during the recent “Real Talk: A Panel with Chicago Entrepreneurs” at the Building Wealth Today for Tomorrow: Financial Empowerment Summit, hosted by Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin. His testimony underscored why JBS is not a typical business program — it equips entrepreneurs to scale their businesses while keeping Christ at the center.

The panel didn’t just inspire entrepreneurs — it touched attendees who saw their own journeys reflected in the stories.

Sharee Washington, a hospitality worker from Southwest Chicago, said she attended because she was “recently saved” and wanted to know how faith could be integrated into business. “Being recently saved, I am so happy to hear about the Joseph Business School. How would you describe attending a Christ-centered school, and how has that helped your business, and how have you kept Christ in your business?” she asked.

Veronica Castello, a student at a traditional school, said, “When they say it involves God, that got my attention. I wanted to hear that part of how it works with business.”

Chouie Hoffman, a Chicago restaurant veteran, added: “For me, the session was really informative. I got to hear the complex parts of starting a business and all the speed bumps you have to get over. Ultimately, if you start a business and encounter those speed bumps, you must keep moving forward.”

These voices show that JBS’s message resonates not only with seasoned entrepreneurs but also with those at the beginning of their faith and business journeys.

Johnson’s testimony was joined by Aaron Franklin, founder of MuzicNet, who left corporate America to start a music school. With JBS training in business planning and advertising, Franklin expanded to two thriving locations in Chicago and Park Forest. He consults with God before every business decision:

“When I follow God’s voice, it always works 100 percent of the time,” Franklin said.

Johnson’s story is proof that JBS is not a typical business program. It blends innovative business practices with enduring biblical principles, equipping entrepreneurs to build sustainable business plans, master financing, staffing, marketing, and advertising, and scale enterprises to $1M+ while keeping Christ at the center.

That same transformational training is now available as JBS opens enrollment for its Spring 2026 Entrepreneurship Program — a four-month, faith-based business curriculum offered in English and Spanish. The on-campus session begins February 7, 2026, and the online session begins February 9, 2026. The early enrollment incentive deadline is December 31, and the final day to start an application is January 26.

Dean David Ramseur, a Wharton School of Business graduate and former corporate executive, moderated the panel and emphasized that JBS is now enrolling for its February 2026 cohort.

“We teach people how to build and grow businesses, but we do it God’s way,” Dean Ramseur said.

Since its founding 26 years ago, JBS has helped create more than 50 millionaires. Building on that legacy, the school has launched a five-year campaign to support 100,000 African American and Hispanic entrepreneurs in scaling their companies to $1M+ in revenue.

For information about the Joseph Business School or to apply for the February 2026 cohort, visit the school’s website at https://www.jbs.edu. To arrange an interview with Dean David Ramseur, JBS alumni Kenneth Johnson and Aaron Franklin, or other JBS officials, contact Jerry Thomas at (312) 212-8955, or jerry@jerrythomaspr.com. Pictures and videos are available.

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