Emily O'Brien headshot

The road from incarceration to entrepreneurship is lined with popcorn

Céline Williams |

Emily O’Brien is the founder of Comeback Snacks popcorn company. It all started when she went to prison. Before, Emily was an entrepreneur and social media professional, having created her own firm at a young age and enjoyed great success. Regrettably, addiction caused her to make some poor choices that culminated in a four-year jail term.

As her sentence began, Emily made it her mission to transform herself, get clean, and make a positive difference during her term. “I didn’t know how I’d make a difference at the time,” says Emily, “but I knew I would find something I cared about that would benefit from a purpose-driven facelift.”

Thus, Comeback Snacks (formerly known as Cons and Kernels) was born.

Upon her release, Emily made a decision to start a popcorn company that used high quality, health-conscious ingredients to create unique flavours inspired by the ones she found in prison. A fun, self-deprecating brand that would also help remove the stigma around people who had prior convictions and provide newly-released offenders with the chance at a fresh start through training, empowerment, and education.


Entrepreneurs are the backbone of Canada’s economy. To support Canada’s businesses, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter.

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest #entrepreneur podcasts and news? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter

Related Podcasts

Mastering the Long Game: Solving Problems with Vision

For the past decade Jefferey Doucet has been at the forefront of innovation on the online job search and...

Read More

Why Entrepreneurs Must Believe in Their Unique Value

As an entrepreneur. You have to believe that you have something better and different to offer. With over 20...

Read More

Ken Harris- EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 – Winner

Phil Bliss, Founder of Canada’s Podcast interviews Ken Harris after receiving the Winner of the EY Award November 26,...

Read More

Join Our Newsletter

Subscribe to receive info on our latest news and episodes

Subscribe