abc's liz kreutz with the details. >> reporter: timothy jackson has spent the last eight years eightand eight days in prison. >> i was incarcerated for assault with a semi-automatic gun, gang enhancement. >> reporter: on his final day inside the correctional facility, and the 35-year-old is preparing to become known as something other than a former inmate. an entrepreneur. >> in three, two, one. >> reporter: timothy sul part of defy ventures a training program that helps incarcerated men and women develop and launch their own startups, the program includes five months of classes and culminates in a shark tank style competitioning. > entrepreneurs have incredibly innovative ideas everything from bar company to a prison style fitness boot camp company. >> reporter: he was one of 90 fellow inmates to recently make his pitch. >> its an a health care facility cleaning company. what we do is fight bacteria. >> reporter: after getting off to a rocky start -- >> man, i'm freezing. >> reporter: timothy got back on track. >> environmental awareness. >> reporter: eventually making it to the sem