Featuring Gina Rodriguez, director Paul Feig, Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx, and Chrysalis clients Darrell Stevenson and Byron Taylor to present awards, the 17th annual Butterfly Ball raised an impressive $1.8 million, honored Jim Gianopulos, Stacey Sher, Curtis Stone, and Chrysalis client Myron Tobin.
A native Texan, Byron left a history of drug use and a life in and out of the criminal justice system behind and moved to L.A. He was ready for a change, but he was struggling to land a job because of his past.
“You have to throw the whole notion of a background check away: I know you’ve been homeless. You may have gone to prison. That’s all right with me,” says the ‘Top Chef’ star of his staffing approach, in partnership with L.A. organization Chrysalis, at his restaurants Maude and Gwen.
In case you missed it, our #Commit2One partner, Chef Curtis Stone, was on NBC’s TODAY talking about Chrysalis and the importance of second chance hiring.
GOOD reports: “Dinner guests at Gwen, the Los Angeles restaurant and butchery helmed by celebrity TV chef Curtis Stone—who you may know from “The Celebrity Apprentice 3” and “Top Chef Masters”—may not see what goes on behind the scenes.”
Growing up in Beverly Hills and Hollywood with a famous father probably sounds like the type of circumstance that would set someone up for success. But for Darrell, a life a partying, drug use, and too much extra time on his hands landed him in and out of jail for over the course of nearly 20 years.