From Prison to CEO: Ex-Inmate Builds Million-Dollar Construction Firm

The United States is often called the land of second chances, and one Chicago woman has seized hers by leading a successful all-female construction company after serving three years in prison.

Traci Quinn, a mother and grandmother, worked as a nurse for two decades.

While in hospitals, she observed how cannabis alleviated symptoms for patients, including those with seizures, inspiring her to launch a medical cannabis business.

In 2016, authorities arrested Quinn after she transported 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of cannabis into Tennessee, a state with some of the strictest cannabis laws in the country. Though she had legally purchased the drug in California, she was convicted of trafficking.

Quinn described the prison sentence as traumatic. “I bawled, I cried, and asked God why. I’d taken care of people my whole life. God told me he didn’t have me there as punishment, but on purpose,” she said.

Behind bars, Quinn said she felt a calling to establish a construction company upon release, focusing on redevelopment in Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods.

Her hometown is among the most racially and economically segregated cities in the U.S., with concentrated poverty especially in southern areas.

Despite lacking construction experience, Quinn launched her company, Pink Hats, in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, shortly after being released from prison.

She initially hired subcontractors for projects but quickly realized she was being exploited.

“I relied on people who told me they could do the work; I learned the hard way that they couldn’t,” Quinn said. “I had garages leaning to one side, everything looked torn up and ugly because I was using people with no experience.”

Quinn grimaced at the sexism she encountered in the male-dominated industry.

Women represent about 11% of the U.S. construction workforce, according to official figures, and Black women account for less than 7%.

“It’s a male-dominated world and they don’t always respect you,” she said with a sigh. She recalled one difficult subcontractor whose language was “horrible” and who “would often tell me to shut up.”

Quinn also said she faced racism. “You absolutely have to work harder as a black woman. There will always be people who think you’re less qualified when you step in the room,” she explained.

“I’ve dealt with that all my life; even in nursing people would assume I was a nursing assistant when I was the director of nursing.”

Undeterred, Quinn enrolled in construction classes and joined mentorship programs with established companies to gain experience. “You really have to be bold as a woman working in construction,” she said. “And you’ve really got to know your stuff.”

Her lack of business skills posed another hurdle.

“When I started applying for municipal contracts with the City of Chicago, they wanted me to pay for projects upfront and get reimbursed later. But I didn’t have the capital,” Quinn explained.

She applied for loans but was “too embarrassed” to admit she did not understand financial jargon. “Finally I broke down and said I needed help.”

Nonprofit organizations guided her on accounting, bidding, and other business essentials. Pink Hats earned $125,000 in its first year and revenue rose steadily to more than $1 million by 2025.

Quinn now employs all four of her daughters as her core team, along with six part-time female staff members. They specialize in transforming residential and commercial spaces, prioritizing marginalized communities.

Last year, Pink Hats renovated a 30-room home for women recovering from substance abuse in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood and won a Builder of the Year award from the Southland Development Authority, a nonprofit promoting economic growth in Chicago’s southern suburbs.

The company is now starting its first new development: building 10 affordable single-family homes for a Christian organization in west Chicago.

Pink Hats uses sustainable materials such as hemp insulation. “It’s been pretty cool learning about hemp. I love using it because it’s non-toxic, pest-resistant, fire-resistant and mould-resistant,” Quinn said.

She wryly noted the irony of using the same plant that sent her to prison in her construction work.

Quinn has ambitious plans. Last summer, Pink Hats was among 14 small businesses to receive a city government grant. She is using the $250,000 to convert an office space into classrooms for teaching trades such as painting and plumbing.

While courses will be open to all, Quinn is passionate about helping ex-convicts reintegrate into society.

“My ultimate goal is to create transitional homes for women coming out of prison,” Quinn said. “They would be able to stay in it for a year, get some work under their belt, learn about financial literacy, and then have the chance to purchase it.”

Irma Holloway, head of the Chicago-based Black Contractors Owners & Executives organization, of which Pink Hats is a member, said Quinn and her team are reshaping the construction field.

“Traci has carved out a distinctive niche by leading with professionalism, precision and purpose,” Holloway said. “Her work proves that when women stay the course and remain committed to their craft, they not only reach the finish line – they redefine it for others.”

Quinn has become philosophical about her past.

“I used to be prideful and probably would’ve looked down on somebody coming out of prison,” she admitted. “I told my daughters things had to happen this way – for their growth and for mine. It’s been an amazing journey.”