From Bitter to Better: How Purpose and Second Chances Can Change Entire Communities (Ep. 2)

In the second installment of this powerful two-part series, DisruptED turns from personal origin stories to the enduring lessons that come from surviving life’s hardest seasons. For host Ron J Stefanski and guest John Valverde, President and CEO of YouthBuild Global, the conversation is rooted in lived experience: moments of deep loss, the resilience forged in adversity, and the quiet, deliberate work of helping others find their own path forward through purpose and second chances.

For Ron, those values were first shaped by his grandmother—a Polish immigrant who raised him after his mother’s passing, surrounding him with warmth, strength, and quiet resilience. That personal foundation feels especially relevant today, with millions of adults under community supervision, on probation or parole, striving to rebuild their lives after incarceration. It’s here, in the space between hardship and hope, that Ron and John explore what it truly means to create a second chance.

How do you emerge from your hardest chapter not just intact, but more open, more compassionate, and more determined to serve? And how can one person’s belief—offered even before someone believes in themselves—be the spark that changes everything?

In this episode of DisruptED, Ron invites John to share what kept him going through 16 years in prison, the role of education and service in shaping his future, and how YouthBuild turns belief in young people into a movement that changes lives. The conversation closes with an important announcement: an ongoing collaborative series exploring “life in the second chance lane, where stories of purpose and second chances will continue to inspire and challenge listeners.

The main topics of conversation…

• John reflects on his “darkest hours” in prison and how daily acts of service, rooted in his father’s advice to “say yes” to helping others, built a foundation for his current work.
• Ron and John discuss the surprising way that tragedy can soften rather than harden—and why empathy is often hardest, and most important, when directed toward those who are hardest to love.
• The launch of a new recurring collaboration between Ron and John, dedicated to sharing powerful YouthBuild stories and inspiring listeners to join the movement for second chances.

John Valverde is a seasoned nonprofit executive and current President & CEO of YouthBuild Global, where he leads a network of over 300 programs worldwide focused on education, workforce readiness, and leadership development for young people. He has a proven track record in organizational growth, strategic partnerships, large-scale fundraising, and managing complex funding portfolios, including federal grants and corporate sponsorships. With extensive experience in criminal justice reform, workforce development, and social entrepreneurship, Valverde is recognized for his ability to build high-performing teams, cultivate collaborative networks, and design innovative programs that deliver measurable impact.