How It Started
I'm Tiffany Tonia Owens, a driven former corporate professional turned business owner,
a Sagittarian felon, and the CEO of Pardoned to Elevate. Pardoned to Elevate is an
organization created to help individuals elevate in life from the stigma behind being
a felon. Yes, I added my zodiac sign because sometimes people can learn a lot about
you that way!
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Finding Inspiration In Every Turn
My Story
As teenagers transition into adulthood, they take on different walks of life. For me,after graduating high school I “knew” what I wanted to do at that period but the“adventure” of bad decisions and having no set structure at home landed me with afelony conviction before the age of 20! Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in anextremely loving home, my mother was a hard-working single parent who went above and beyond! I wanted for nothing! As I said, the “adventure” of bad decision-making was irresistible for me.
My criminal background made it hard to obtain a job or find a place to stay, in my name! I got certified in Business Management because while trying to obtain a degree in early childhood education I found out felons can’t be teachers. I got a certification in Auto Body Technology because I wrecked my first car and thought it would be cool to put it back together, but when it was said and done, I didn’t like smelling like paint thinner and it wasn’t a profession for me! Life was changing, my relationship that was once loving and produced two children turned toxic and abusive. Yes, I was able to get out of it, but while doing so, I was terminated from the Dallas Housing Voucher Program because of a misdemeanor charge that I had before I even began the program. I know, it makes no sense to me either! I was able to get an apartment in my mother’s name, but the inability to obtain employment making enough money to maintain life due to my criminal background, my two daughters and I ended up moving into a family shelter. Fortunately, after living there for 10 months, the shelter assisted me with obtaining a public housing apartment in the projects. I knew this was temporary and a steppingstone.
I found my niche working in customer service. I began to see the love I had interacting with people daily, educating them on certain situations they may have been unaware of, and the happiness/laughter I gave them gave me an internal feeling of joy that is unexplainable. I felt in my soul that my elevation wasn’t complete. I transitioned from customer service to property management joining the Pathlight Property Management family as a Move-In Specialist. This role was a major turning point for me, as it allowed me to showcase my potential. Within a few months, I was promoted to maintenance coordinator, becoming the first black female employee to hold this position. This opportunity not only transformed my career but also reshaped my mindset.
During my three-year tenure at Pathlight, I dedicated myself to mastering various aspects of maintenance for single-family homes, including roofing, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work. I even considered pursuing an inspector’s license. However, changes in the company's management led to my dismissal due to perceived negativity by the new manager despite my positive demeanor. I was fortunate to be hired by Streetlane Homes, thanks to a former manager from Pathlight who now worked there. I quickly advanced to the role of maintenance manager, becoming the first black employee to hold that position at the company. This job changed my life - I was able to move my children out of public housing and into a house with a backyard. As a manager, I was able to use my natural counseling abilities to motivate my team, leading us to outperform other maintenance markets. Unfortunately, the company went through several rounds of layoffs starting in late 2022 due to industry changes, but I was able to hold onto my role as maintenance manager and continued to excel despite the challenges.
In February 2024, I seized a promising opportunity at Darwin Homes, a seemingly stable property management company. Excited about the role of Maintenance Manager with a larger salary and "better" stability, I gave Streetlane my notice, leaving respectfully, and began my employment on March 18, 2024. Shockingly, I was terminated just four days later due to my criminal background from 2000 and 2002, which had not been disclosed to me as an issue before being hired. No, I didn’t lie about having a criminal background, I am always straightforward about it. Talk about panicking! Instead of having two children, I now had a 6-year-old son, a daughter about to graduate from high school, and a 24-year-old daughter I was helping with two grandsons. No job, no longer on public assistance, and STILL A FELON! The company I left wasn’t backfilling my position, so I couldn’t return. I had a complete meltdown!
I began working to obtain my All-Lines Adjusters license but quickly found out that my background would be on the license possibly causing an employment issue. The experience led me to decide to work on obtaining a pardon for my past offenses on my own. With support from my son’s father, I embarked on this journey and realized the process to obtain the necessary paperwork is incredibly time-consuming, which can deter a person, but it could be completed without an attorney. This realization inspired me to create Pardoned to Elevate, a step-by-step slideshow pardon process presentation with voiceover instructions to assist Texans complete the pardon process on their own.
INVESTORS!!
I am currently searching for investors for a non-profit project aided to elevate African American males being fully released from the penitentiary and transitioning back into society. If you have a passion for helping those that want a life change, please select leave your contact information, your availability, and someone from my team will contact you.
