Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Viktoriya Stinson of Victory Starts Now Is Helping To Change Our World
Do the work yourself before you tell others what to do. I believe part of what makes us successful is that I have performed in every function of this company. Because of that experience, I know, firsthand, how the job should be done and am able offer them a greater level of support.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Viktoriya Stenson.
Viktoriya Stenson, once a lawyer, switched to a different path seen by many as unconventional. Born in Ukraine, she moved to the U.S. in 1994 as a religious refugee with her family. Despite their initial struggles, she pursued a law degree and worked as a public defender in Los Angeles. Witnessing the flaws in the justice system, she founded Victory Starts Now (VSN) in 2015. VSN offers housing and support to ex-convicts and mentally incompetent individuals, focusing on rehabilitation rather than incarceration. By treating clients with dignity and providing comprehensive assistance, VSN aims to reintegrate them as productive members of society. With 20 facilities and up to 400 clients, VSN continues to make a significant impact.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I went to law school thinking that I could change the world. Pretty quickly, I realized that being an attorney was not me but I stayed in law school nonetheless to finish what I had started. One of the best things I got to do during that time was an externship with the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Program. I was given the task of working on Prop 36 resentencing petitions. Prop 36 was the proposition that allowed three-strike offenders to be resentenced; a successful petition often saw the inmate released after spending decades in prison. When people are locked up for that long, they usually have lost most ties to their communities and so I saw these human beings getting released after decades in prison with nowhere to go. When I looked at the very limited housing and resources that was available to them, it shocked and saddened me. And so, Victory Starts Now was born with the mission of helping judicially impacted individuals reintegrate back and become productive members of society.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
I remember on the very first day that we opened our third facility, an older gentleman came to us, and it was his birthday. We decided we wanted to celebrate and I asked him what kind of cake he would like. His answered shattered me. In 65 years of living, he had never had a birthday cake. From that moment on, I made it a policy that every person that comes through our doors gets a birthday cake of their choosing on their special day. Up until that moment, I couldn’t imagine that so much of what we take for granted, so many of those around us have never experienced.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Not so much a funny mistake, but a mistake that I learned a lot from. At the time I had just one facility and hired a woman as a live-in house manager. Everything was going great. She was she had earned the respect and admiration of all the members in the house. One day, I received a call from the contractor who provides residents for our program, informing me of allegations that she was sleeping with one of our members. I didn’t believe it so I fought for her tooth and nail. Since I treat all my members with respect and a nurturing spirit — almost like a parent — I simply couldn’t imagine that a staff member would see them in any other way than that. Unfortunately, the allegations turned out to be true. I was devastated but we took care of the problem. The valuable lesson I learned the hard way was never to assume that everyone sees things just I do and I must be extra vigilant in my role leading this business.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Every day, Victory Starts Now focuses on diverting individuals with severe and persistent mental illness from the county jail and into the community. We stabilize them then work to reintegrate them back into society. It’s important to understand that no one with mental health challenges recovers while incarcerated — jails and prisons were simply not designed
For that. In addition, we educate the communities we serve about the stigma surrounding such issue so that they become more accepting of those facing such challenges. We stress that mental illness is not to be feared but understood.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
We had a member living at one of our houses who learned that his mom had just died. To help him cope with the loss, we encouraged him to express his feelings by painting murals on the walls of the garage. Every day he would paint the most beautiful murals. He told us how therapeutic it was for him to create art, which allowed him to grieve in a productive manner. In jail, he said, he would never would have been granted such an opportunity. Later when he was living in a nearby community, he asked if he could return and start an art program for our other members. It was awesome for not only me, but for our member who see, firsthand, the positive impact Victory Starts Now can make. He now works for Victory Starts Now as a maintenance technician and everyone calls him a walking billboard for the program.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
1. Ensure that vital information about mental health is made widely available as this is the only way to successfully remove the stigma surrounding the disease.
So many people are curious about it but may be embarrassed to ask for help or admit that they may be suffering. Only through education can they feel recognized and accepted.
2. Drug use needs to be regulated instead of prohibited. LA County is a harm reduction county meaning that we try to reduce the harm associated with illicit behaviors. People will use drugs regardless of whether or not they are legal. We need to help them. Fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, in particular, are killing so many people today. I think fentanyl test kits should be made widely available. I am happy that Narcan is available to those in need as it is reducing the number of overdoses we see each year.
3. When people are released from incarceration, they need a village of support around them. Instead of stoking fear by promoting a “you have caused harm, and we believe you may cause harm again so we will make sure you don’t cause and further harm” message, we need to rethink how we treat them with a “you are good, you can do good, and we will help you on your journey” message. They cannot successfully reintegrate back into society if society is just waiting for them to make another mistake.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is being able to bring out the best in people who will join together to help achieve a common goal. It is achieved when a leader empowers those around them and makes them feel like they’re capable. When being asked for guidance, it can sometimes be tempting to jump in and do it yourself. Doing that, however, is counterproductive as it creates a dependence on you and no confidence in themselves. If people feel good about themselves, they will be more productive and develop a sense of pride in themselves. I also think that a leader who has performed the same work as those they are leading, more success will result because they are speaking from experience instead of theory.
What are your 5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why.
1. Get a good bookkeeper/accountant and sit down with them while you are forming your business to ensure that the business structure is sound. One of the most important aspects that they can help guide you through is determining what kind of business entity you should fall under. An LLC? C corp? Sole proprietorship? I’m seeing new businesses opening under LLCs even though there is absolutely no reason for them to do so, given the type of business they’re launching. Instead of an LLC, for example, many should be considering opening under a sole proprietorship with general liability insurance.
2. Go to a seminar on HR laws in your state. If you can afford a consultation with an HR company or specialist when you open your business great, but if you can’t, there are training seminars that delve into the labor laws in your state that offer invaluable information.
When I first opened my business, I had no idea that if an employee used their cell phone while on the job for any purpose, the employer has to give them a monthly cell phone reimbursement. A disgruntled terminated employee who worked for us consulted a lawyer and tried to find any means to sue us. They found that loophole and I had to pay up. I learned an important lesson from that.
3 . Don’t take things personally. When you’re dealing with others, especially those who have been impacted by the judicial system, homelessness, substance use, mental illness, etc, it can be hard to predict how they will respond to any given situation I remember the first time someone went AWOL from my first facility, I was heartbroken. I kept beating myself up wondering why he left and what I could have done to prevent that. When he returned I asked him why he left, he admitted having a drug craving that he could not control and that there was nothing I could’ve done to keep him from leaving. You have to learn that, sometimes, it has nothing to do with you.
4. Do the work yourself before you tell others what to do. I believe part of what makes us successful is that I have performed in every function of this company. Because of that experience, I know, firsthand, how the job should be done and am able offer them a greater level of support.
5. Have a sound idea of the business structure including all revenue sources. Some start businesses without ever exploring market demand, economic conditions, controlling costs, who your “customer” is, etc.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
This one is hard because there are so many I wish I could do. I would like to make parenting classes mandatory with special emphasis on each stage of development i.e., infant, toddler, elementary school age, pre-teens and teenager. I have a great idea for how we can make this mandatory but would need a lawmaker to help facilitate it in the schools. I see this as a necessary and vital “next step” in order for our society to evolve. My work has taught me that many people remain in perpetual cycles of trauma simply because they didn’t know how to deal with a particular life challenge.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson” ? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Nothing is separate, everything is connected” has been one of the most helpful quotes that I have applied in nearly every area of my life. Let me give you an example. Say you have a co-worker who is known to lie to get out of trouble. Don’t think that the lies will be limited to the workplace…if your co-worker is willing to lie in one circumstance, he most likely will lie in another. Even if he swears he’s telling you the truth, don’t take his word on it. I have yet to have this proven wrong.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Governor Gavin Newsome! I am so excited about all the policies he has championed in California. I think he is moving the state in the right direction especially as it pertains to the disenfranchised. I would love to meet with him as I have so many great ideas for Californians that have worked on a micro level that I think would work on a macro level, as well
How can our readers further follow your work online?
@ViktoriyaStinson on
Instagram, victorystartsnow.org to see what were up to; or by email at
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued
Success in your great work!
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