Mr. Ladji Ruffin

Certified Peer Specialist

Mr. Ladji Ruffin is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Authentic Braille Masters, LLC, an international company specializing in transcribing print textbooks into Braille for individuals who are blind or have a visual impairment.

Mr. Ruffin began his journey of developing an entrepreneurial mindset after reading the book, “Think Outside the Cell: An Entrepreneur’s Guide for the Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated,” by Joseph Robinson while serving a life sentence in prison.

He was so inspired by the information contained in the book, Mr. Ruffin began the process of reinventing himself by reading self-help and finance books and shoring up his skill set: public speaking and facilitating classes on entrepreneurship, learning to bake, barber and even read and transcribe textbooks for the visually impaired in Braille.

His exceptional strides in personal development led him to be selected among the few incarcerated persons to go into the Governor’s Mansion Detail, where he worked around Governor Nathan Deal and First Lady Sandra Deal. Mr. Ruffin worked at the Governor Mansion for a year, and after 23 years of incarceration, he was granted parole.

With the array of skills that he learned while in prison he was able to launch his own company, thus giving him a huge advantage in his reintegration journey.

Mr. Ruffin is also a Certified Peer Specialist-Mental Health, Certified Peer Specialist-Addictive Diseases, National Certified Peer Specialist, Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner, and Certified Peer Specialist-Whole Health. As a young teenager, he suffered from mental health illness and recovered from this illness. The Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network hired Mr. Ruffin as a Forensic Peer Mentor. He now works at Metro Reentry Facility with the Mental Health Department, offering peer support to men making a transition out of prison. Mr. Ruffin is the Project Manager of the Offender Alumni Association organization. OAA offers peer support and helps restore anyone affected by the criminal justice system.

He travels and teaches across the State of Georgia, speaking to individuals at universities, churches, and prisons, sharing the good news of restoration and hope. He leads a reentry class at Metro Reentry Facility in Atlanta, Georgia. He works with the U.S. Attorney Office of Northern District of Georgia, mentoring kids and young adults between the ages of 7 and 25. Mr. Ruffin is currently enrolled at Mercer University, majoring in Criminal Justice Leadership.

Mr. Ruffin is a successful case of a Georgia returning citizen who successfully transitioned from life as an incarcerated individual after twenty-three years to life “on the outside” as a successful business owner, speaker, and Certified Peer Specialist.

He loves spending time with his wife, two grandchildren, daughter, and family.