Youth Mentoring Connection
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Youth Mentoring Connection does
Youth Mentoring Connection (YMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2001 by Tony LoRe. It delivers long-term (9-month) mentoring and youth development services to at-risk youth ages 12-24 living in Los Angeles County's toughest neighborhoods, with a primary geographic focus on Service Planning Area 6. Since inception, the organization reports positively impacting more than 6,000 vulnerable youth, predominantly BIPOC, LGBTQ+, foster, and system-involved young people facing educational failure, gang exposure, and limited positive adult mentorship.
YMC's service portfolio is built on a proprietary methodology called the Gift Centered Approach, layered on Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey framework and a Sawubona ("I see you") witnessing practice. Core offerings include Worksite Mentoring and Community Mentoring programs (9-month structured engagements combining group life-skills workshops, 1:1 mentoring, case management, and parental involvement), supplemented by Initiation Weekends (4-day mountain retreats using indigenous-inspired rituals), STOKED City Surf Camp, the Urban Oasis Film Academy, and monthly ECHO gatherings. Delivery relies on corporate worksite venues (Warner Music Group, HBO, Viacom) and a network of community partners including Street Poets, Rhythm Arts Alliance, Wolf Connection, and Homeboy Industries. The methodology has been licensed internationally, with training engagements in Singapore, China, Jamaica, Macau, and Peru.
YMC operates as a donation- and grant-funded nonprofit. Revenue streams comprise individual donations (collected through NeonCRM), foundation grants (including the Elizabeth R. Koch Foundation), corporate sponsorships, and in-kind support from corporate partners. Services are provided free of charge to youth. The 12-person staff is supplemented by recruited volunteer mentors, and the organization is governed by a board including senior entertainment, legal, and tech executives (Warner Bros., DoorDash, Revolution Prep). The business model has no recurring SaaS pricing, no per-mentee fee, and no equity ownership; sustainability depends on continuous fundraising cycles and corporate partnership renewals.
Youth Mentoring Connection firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Youth Mentoring Connection
- Legal name
- Youth Mentoring Connection, Inc.
- Website
- https://youthmentoring.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Youth Mentoring Connection industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mentoring Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO)
Keywords
Where Youth Mentoring Connection is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Youth Mentoring Connection business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations are the primary revenue source. The organization runs annual end-of-year campaigns and accepts ongoing donations through their NeonCRM platform.
- Foundation Grants: YMC receives grants from foundations such as the Elizabeth R. Koch Foundation ($2.4M awarded to 50 LA nonprofits including YMC) and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the LA County Arts Commission.
- Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners provide funding, volunteer mentors, and in-kind support. Major partners include Warner Music Group, Netflix, Capital Group, and various entertainment and corporate entities.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Youth Mentoring Connection product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Youth Mentoring Connection delivers long-term (9-month) Worksite and Community Mentoring programs that pair at-risk youth ages 12-24 with adult volunteer mentors, supplemented by specialty programs including four-day Initiation Weekend mountain retreats, Stoked City Surf Camp, Urban Oasis Film Academy, and monthly ECHO gatherings. All programs are facilitated free of charge to youth participants using the organization's proprietary Gift Centered Approach and Hero's Journey framework, and are funded entirely through individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate partnerships.
Product overview
Youth Mentoring Connection operates as a unified program portfolio of mentoring and youth development services rather than a software platform. The core offering consists of Worksite Mentoring and Community Mentoring programs (both 9-month duration) that form the foundation, supplemented by specialty programs including Initiation Weekends (4-day mountain retreats), STOKED CITY SURF CAMP (ocean-based healing), ECHO (monthly gender-specific gatherings), and Urban Oasis Film Academy (film production training). Tony Talks provides supplementary video content. All programs implement the organization's Gift Centered Approach and Sawubona philosophy, using Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey as a framework to help at-risk youth ages 12-24 discover their gifts while healing from wounds.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Worksite Mentoring Nine-month mentoring program conducted at corporate workplaces where employee volunteers mentor high school students, combining group life-skills programming with direct 1:1 mentoring and intensive case management.
- Community Mentoring Mentoring program engaging mentors from various walks of life to help mentees achieve goals including academic achievement, goal setting, social skills improvement, and reducing risk-taking behaviors.
- Initiation Weekends Four-day mountain retreats in the San Gabriel Mountains near Big Bear using indigenous initiation rituals to help youth identify wounds and discover gifts, followed by nine months of mentoring.
- Stoked City Surf Camp Surf program providing Los Angeles youth the opportunity to learn surfing at local beaches, serving as a healing retreat and teaching tool for overcoming challenges.
- Urban Oasis Film Academy Three-month program where youth learn script writing, cameras, acting, producing, directing, and editing to create their own short films, culminating in a red-carpet premiere event.
- ECHO Monthly Gatherings Monthly evening gatherings where youth and mentors participate in deep discussion in gender-specific groups using indigenous rituals, ancient stories, poetry, and music to create space for healing conversations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 6000 vulnerable youth positively impacted since founding
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Youth Mentoring Connection
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Youth Mentoring Connection technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Youth Mentoring Connection partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Warner Music GroupcoreMajor corporate partner providing volunteer mentors through worksite mentoring programs at their offices. Kristal McKanders, VP Communications & Marketing, serves on YMC's board as well.
- NetflixcoreCorporate partner supporting YMC's programs through donations and in-kind support.
- Capital GroupcoreCorporate partner supporting YMC's youth mentoring programs through donations.
- Street PoetscorePartner organization providing poetic imagination and deep elemental ritual for YMC's initiation retreats. Brings healing power of poetry and music to build community.
- Rhythm Arts AlliancecorePartner bringing arts off the stage and into the lives of youth challenged by poverty, alienation and marginalization.
- Western Gate Roots and Wings FoundationcoreElders, mentors, and teachers using Native American and indigenous teachings to cultivate deeper respect for trauma and harm suffered by veterans and disconnected youth.
- Stoked AdventurescoreProgram dedicated to sharing outdoor adventures as aid in personal growth, providing surf instruction for YMC's Stoked City Surf Camp.
- Homeboy Industries Youth ServicescoreProvides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people, aligning with YMC's mission to redirect youth lives.
- Wolf ConnectioncoreUnique educational sanctuary and wilderness retreat center bringing people together through direct relationship with rescued wolves for empowering youth leadership.
- HBOminorCorporate partner hosting worksite mentoring programs where employees volunteer as mentors.
- ViacomminorCorporate partner hosting worksite mentoring programs where employees volunteer as mentors.
- Shade Tree Multi-Cultural FoundationcorePartner organization led by Orland Bishop that co-created YMC's first Mentee Initiation Intensive in 2004.
- Singapore Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentcoreMinister Nancy Ng invited founder Tony LoRe to train the country in YMC's Gift Centered Approach to mentoring. YMC has also trained delegations from China, Jamaica, Macau, and Peru.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Youth Mentoring Connection competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Homeboy Industries: LA-based nonprofit serving formerly gang-involved and at-risk youth with mentoring, workforce training, and healing. Listed as a YMC partner, but also a direct peer competing for the same mentee population.
- After-School All-Stars Los Angeles: Provides after-school programming and mentorship to LA-area youth. Overlaps on target demographic and outcome metrics around graduation and life skills.
- LA's BEST: LA-based after-school program serving elementary-age youth in underserved neighborhoods. Comparable on LA geography, school partnerships, and at-risk youth mission.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles: Largest direct mentoring peer in the LA region, running 1:1 youth mentoring for at-risk youth with school and community-based programs. Most direct comparable on mission and geography.
Broad incumbents
- MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella organization for the youth mentoring field. Comparable as a sector leader and potential intermediary that connects mentoring programs like YMC to research, funding, and policy resources.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit with LA-area clubs serving at-risk youth through mentoring, education, and recreation. Much larger but overlaps heavily on target population and outcome goals.
Regional players
- InnerCity Struggle: East LA youth organizing and development nonprofit serving a similar at-risk youth demographic with leadership development and mentoring components. Geographic and demographic peer.
Emerging players
- Stoked Mentoring (NYC): Mentoring nonprofit that uses action sports (surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding) to mentor underserved youth. Direct conceptual peer to YMC's STOKED CITY SURF CAMP programming model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Youth Mentoring Connection social profiles
Digital presenceYouth Mentoring Connection financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Youth Mentoring Connection leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Youth Mentoring Connection funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Youth Mentoring Connection M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Youth Mentoring Connection
What does Youth Mentoring Connection do?
Youth Mentoring Connection delivers long-term (9-month) Worksite and Community Mentoring programs that pair at-risk youth ages 12-24 with adult volunteer mentors, supplemented by specialty programs including four-day Initiation Weekend mountain retreats, Stoked City Surf Camp, Urban Oasis Film Academy, and monthly ECHO gatherings. All programs are facilitated free of charge to youth participants using the organization's proprietary Gift Centered Approach and Hero's Journey framework, and are funded entirely through individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate partnerships.
Is Youth Mentoring Connection a public or private company?
Youth Mentoring Connection is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Youth Mentoring Connection founded?
Youth Mentoring Connection was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Youth Mentoring Connection based?
Youth Mentoring Connection is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Youth Mentoring Connection make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are foundation Grants and corporate Partnerships.
Who are Youth Mentoring Connection's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Homeboy Industries, After-School All-Stars Los Angeles, LA's BEST and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles. Broad incumbents are MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. InnerCity Struggle is listed as a regional player. Stoked Mentoring (NYC) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Youth Mentoring Connection have an API?
No public API is recorded for Youth Mentoring Connection.
What industry is Youth Mentoring Connection in?
Youth Mentoring Connection's product category is Youth Mentoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAD, Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAKAMAO, Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.