The 2000 Roses Foundation was founded in 1999 by Dallas entrepreneurs Kelly Wiley and Alonzo Harris , who to this day remain motivated by a deep personal understanding of the challenges that inmates face as they leave prison and transition to society. Kelly and Alonzo both accomplished business professionals, have each experienced the criminal justice system and wanted to close the information gap regarding available services for the formerly-incarcerated and their families.
In the fall of 1999, the Foundation focused exclusively on the needs of women re-entering society after incarceration, in particular those affected by substance abuse or domestic violence. They officially chartered the 2000 Roses Foundation and opened a 501 (c) (3), non-profit Transitional Living Center (TLC before and after). Both founders recognized that women are often victimized both as children and as adults, and that family dysfunction, patriarchy, addictions and the prison system all play destructive roles in their lives.