Youth Ambassadors

What Youth Ambassadors does

Youth Ambassadors, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2010 and headquartered at 3130 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO, following its 2024 relocation into its first permanent facility after 14 years without a dedicated building. The organization operates a trauma-informed, strengths-based educational employment program serving underserved Greater Kansas City youth ages 14-18, functioning as a 'first job experience' that combines paid community impact projects with social emotional learning, life and job skills training, mental health support, and creative expression programming. Core program offerings include a Saturday school-year program and a six-to-eight week summer program (Monday-Thursday), supplemented by group therapy sessions led by licensed clinicians using the SPARCS with MBCT framework, the S.A.V.E. peer mentorship program (Suicide Awareness & Anti-Violence Education), Mock Interview Day, College & Career Day, and the annual Teen Peace Summit. The proprietary curriculum backbone is the CASEL-endorsed SPARK social emotional learning curriculum, paired with structured clinical therapy delivered at a 10:1 teen-to-instructor ratio.

The revenue model is donation-based across four streams: individual donations (one-time and Ambassador Advocates recurring tiers ranging from $15 to $200/month), foundation grants (notably Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation for college/career training and Children's Services Fund of Jackson County for mental health programming), corporate and foundation sponsorships, and the annual Blue Jean Bash fundraiser, which historically raised $47.5K (2023), $52K (2024), $105K (2021), and $160K (2022). Youth participants receive services at no cost; the program is sustained entirely through philanthropic and grant funding. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on referrals from a network of 15+ civic, educational, public health, and law enforcement partners across the Kansas City metropolitan area, with brand-building anchored by the website, Instagram, TikTok, email newsletter, and the Blue Jean Bash annual gala. Leadership is provided by co-founder and board member Tiffany Lynch, Board President Peter Long, and Community Projects Manager Elizabeth Fernandez.

Name

Youth Ambassadors

Legal name

Youth Ambassadors, Inc.

Website

https://youthambassadorskc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Youth Ambassadors is a Kansas City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that runs a trauma-informed employment and social emotional learning program for underserved youth ages 14-18, combining paid community projects, mental health support, and life-skills training funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth) (EDAJAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), School-Based Mental & Behavioral Health Services (EDAJAIAB)

Keywords

• Youth workforce development
• Social emotional learning
• Trauma informed youth services
• Teen employment programs
• Community impact projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting youth programming. Donation tiers range from $15/month recurring to $1,900 one-time for year-round programming sponsorship.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from institutional foundations including Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (college/career training) and Children's Services Fund of Jackson County (mental health programming)
3. Blue Jean Bash Annual Event: Annual fundraising gala generating significant contributions; has raised $47,500 (2023), $52,000 (2024), $105,000 (2021), and $160,000 (2022)
4. Corporate/Foundation Sponsorships: Sponsorships from corporate partners and foundations supporting the annual Blue Jean Bash event and general operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Youth Ambassadors delivers a free, trauma-informed educational employment program for underserved Greater Kansas City teens ages 14–18, combining a School Year Saturday Program and a 6–8 week Summer Program with training in life/job skills, health & wellness, entrepreneurship, creative expression, and financial literacy, supplemented by licensed-therapist-led group therapy, the S.A.V.E. anti-violence peer program, Mock Interview Day, the Teen Peace Summit, and paid community impact projects such as gardens, murals, and neighborhood clean-ups.

Product overview

Youth Ambassadors is a strengths-based, trauma-informed educational employment nonprofit providing year-round programming for underserved Greater Kansas City youth ages 14-18. The core offering consists of School Year Saturday Program and Summer Program (6-8 weeks), delivering specialized training in Health & Wellness, Youth Entrepreneurship, Life & Job Skills, Creative Expression, and Financial Literacy. The organization supplements core programming with Group Chat Therapy (licensed therapist-led group sessions for ~10 teens), the S.A.V.E. Program (Suicide Awareness & Anti-Violence Education peer mentorship), Mock Interview Day, College & Career Day, and the annual Teen Peace Summit. Ambassadors who complete social emotional learning curriculum receive paid opportunities on Community Ambassador Projects including community gardens and public art murals. The organization also hosts the annual Blue Jean Bash fundraising event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Year Saturday Program Year-round Saturday strengths-based programming for underserved Greater Kansas City youth ages 14–18, delivered in small groups with a 10:1 teen-to-instructor ratio covering life/job skills, social emotional learning, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, creative expression, and financial literacy.
• Summer Program Six-to-eight week intensive summer program running Monday through Thursday with project-based training activities in collaboration with civic leaders, serving the same teen demographic as the Saturday program.
• Group Chat Therapy Program Weekly group therapy session of approximately 10 teens guided by a licensed therapist using SPARCS with MBCT, providing coping mechanisms and emotional support in a secure environment.
• S.A.V.E. Program (Suicide Awareness & Anti-Violence Education) Youth-led peer-to-peer violence prevention mentorship program partnering with the Kansas City Health Department, covering healthy relationships, gun violence, anger management, and suicide prevention.
• Mock Interview Day Annual event where Ambassadors practice interviewing skills with diverse career professionals, culminating months of resume writing and career preparation training.
• Teen Peace Summit Annual anti-violence event that unites young people to explore leadership, conflict resolution, and community building through interactive workshops.
• Youth Entrepreneurship Training Evidence-based K-12 curriculum providing knowledge on market research, branding, concept design, business models, and profit/loss for budding entrepreneurs.
• Community Ambassador Projects Paid community impact projects including maintaining community gardens, public art murals, neighborhood clean-ups, and urban green space revitalization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of Ambassadors report being better equipped to solve interpersonal conflicts using nonviolent methods
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Center for Conflict ResolutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing conflict resolution expertise and programming support for youth participants.
• Community Capital FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting economic development initiatives and youth entrepreneurship programming.
• Cross Lines Community OutreachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing volunteer opportunities for youth at their food bank and community services.
• De La SalleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner supporting youth development and programming.
• Elevate Metro KCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner focused on economic mobility and youth development in the Kansas City region.
• Harvesters Community Food ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing food security programs and volunteer opportunities for youth.
• KC Common GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership focused on collective impact and community development.
• Kansas City Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw enforcement partner supporting violence prevention initiatives and community-police relations programming.
• Kansas City Public Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic health partner collaborating on S.A.V.E. Program (Suicide Awareness and Anti-Violence Education) and youth health initiatives.
• Leadership TomorrowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership development partner supporting youth civic engagement programming.
• Our Healthy Jackson CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth initiative partner supporting wellness programming for youth participants.
• Rockhurst UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing academic resources, potential internship opportunities, and educational programming support.
• Violence Free Kansas CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerViolence prevention partner supporting anti-violence education and community safety initiatives.
• Urban Neighborhood InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development partner supporting neighborhood-based programming and urban revitalization efforts.
• University of Missouri-Kansas CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner providing college access programming, campus visits, and educational pathway support for youth.
• Wyandotte County Youth (It’s Time to Step Up Campaign)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth-led violence prevention campaign developed by Wyandotte County youth addressing adult role modeling and community challenges faced by teens.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing college access and career-development advising to first-generation students from under-resourced communities — comparable focus on college/career readiness for underserved youth.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National youth-employment nonprofit providing workforce training and career pathways to opportunity youth — comparable at the model level (paid work + skill training) though at much larger scale.
• Generation: Global employment nonprofit offering skills training and job placement to under-served youth and adults — broadly comparable workforce-development mission at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Harvesters Community Food Network: Kansas City food-security nonprofit partnering with Youth Ambassadors for youth volunteer engagement — overlapping volunteer-youth-pipeline operations.
• KC Common Good: KC collective-impact nonprofit focused on community development and violence prevention — comparable regional focus on youth and community safety outcomes.
• Urban Neighborhood Initiative: Kansas City neighborhood-revitalization nonprofit partnering with Youth Ambassadors — comparable urban community-development focus serving similar geography and demographics.
• Elevate Metro KC: Kansas City-focused economic-mobility and youth-development organization listed as a Youth Ambassadors partner — comparable regional mission around youth economic opportunity.

Direct peers

• Boys & Girls Club of Kansas City: Major youth-serving nonprofit serving at-risk Kansas City youth with after-school programs, workforce readiness, and SEL — the most direct local peer competing for similar donor and partner relationships.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City: Mentorship-focused nonprofit serving Kansas City youth with one-to-one mentoring and life-skills programming — overlapping mission around youth development, life skills, and positive adult relationships.
• Kauffman Scholars: Kansas City college-access program backed by the same Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that funds Youth Ambassadors — directly competing for the same funder's college/career-readiness dollars and KC youth pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@youthambassadorskc
• Facebookfacebook.com/youthambassadorskc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthambassadorsinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth Ambassadors