Adolescent Health Champions

What Adolescent Health Champions does

Adolescent Health Champions, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, California (EIN 821087254), with operational concentration in India. The organization trains adolescents aged 10–19, referred to as "Champions," as peer health educators who then deliver structured health sessions to classmates and peers in schools and community settings. The core curriculum is a proprietary, youth-centric, gender-inequity-focused curriculum co-developed with global healthcare and education experts and a Youth Advisory Board, covering five topic areas: nutrition and anemia, mental health and substance abuse, gender and relationships, reproductive health, and COVID-19. Programs are delivered through school-based partnerships (including government-run KGBV residential schools for girls in Jharkhand since 2022 and rural schools in Bikaner, Rajasthan since 2023), supplemented by a mobile application for virtual programming and curriculum delivery.

The organization reports programmatic outcomes including 6,100+ Champions trained, 39,500+ adolescents educated, 304 partner schools, a 48% increase in peer knowledge and 40%+ positive attitude shift among peers reached. A Senior Research Manager (PhD) oversees an evidence-based evaluation framework with results published in peer-reviewed academic literature (Annals of Global Health). A Youth Advisory Board consisting of Champions from India co-develops programming, curriculum, the mobile application, virtual programming, and research, which is positioned as a distinguishing youth-led governance feature.

The business model is a non-profit donation-and-merchandise hybrid. The primary revenue stream is charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and organizations; secondary revenue comes from a branded merchandise e-commerce store (powered by Printful) selling t-shirts, hoodies, bags, phone cases, mugs, and stickers at fixed price points ranging from $4.50 to $45.00, with all proceeds supporting the organization. No fees are charged for peer education programs. Distribution is school-based and partner-organization-mediated in India, with global donation and merchandise channels via the website. The leadership team of approximately 21 members is led by Co-Founder and Co-President Priya Shankar MD, MPH; Co-Founder and Co-President Ricky Sharma passed away in July 2023.

Name

Adolescent Health Champions

Legal name

Adolescent Health Champions, Inc.

Website

https://adolescenthealthchampions.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adolescent Health Champions is a 501c3 non-profit that trains adolescents aged 10–19 as peer health educators ("Champions") using a proprietary gender-equity-focused curriculum, delivering in-school programs in India (Jharkhand and Rajasthan) and a mobile app, funded by donations and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG), Physical Education & Health Instruction (EDAJAFAL)

Keywords

• Adolescent health education
• Peer health training
• Youth health leadership
• Gender equity programs
• School health partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: AHC operates as a 501c3 registered non-profit organization. The primary revenue stream is donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations. The organization explicitly acknowledges colonial roots of global health and aims to amplify community voices in fundraising decisions. They are intentional about not reinforcing structural hierarchies in financial decision-making.
2. Merchandise Sales (AHC Shop): AHC operates an e-commerce store selling branded merchandise (t-shirts, hoodies, bags, phone cases, stickers, mugs) through Printful for fulfillment, printing, and shipment. All proceeds directly support Adolescent Health Champions Inc.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Adolescent Health Champions trains adolescents aged 10-19 as peer health educators ("Champions") who deliver in-school health education to classmates on nutrition/anemia, mental health/substance abuse, gender/relationships, reproductive health, and personal safety. Programming is delivered through direct school partnerships, government-run residential schools (KGBVs in Jharkhand, schools in Rajasthan), and a mobile application for virtual sessions, using a proprietary gender-inequity-focused curriculum co-developed with a Youth Advisory Board. The organization is supported by an online merchandise shop and donations to fund Champion training.

Product overview

Adolescent Health Champions operates as a peer education platform that trains adolescents (ages 10-19) as youth health leaders to advance health equity globally. The core offering consists of the Champions Peer Education Program, which uses a proprietary curriculum covering nutrition, mental health, substance abuse, gender & relationships, and reproductive health. The flagship Girls Health Champions Program operates in India (Jharkhand and Rajasthan), with programming delivered through both in-person school-based sessions and a mobile application for virtual delivery. The organization also maintains a merchandise shop to generate revenue. The Youth Advisory Board provides youth-centered governance across all programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Champions Peer Education Program The core peer education program that trains adolescents (ages 10-19) as youth health leaders (Champions) who educate their peers in school on health topics including nutrition, mental health, gender-affirming care, reproductive health, and personal safety. Champions learn about common adolescent illnesses, gain leadership and public speaking skills, and serve as change-makers in their schools and communities.
• Girls Health Champions Program Flagship in-school program operating in Jharkhand and Rajasthan, India. In Jharkhand, AHC partners with Ugam Education Foundation in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs), training 9th-grade girls as Champions to lead sessions for grades 8 and 9 on menstrual health, mental well-being, and gender equality. In Rajasthan, AHC partners with Urmul Setu Sansthan (USS) to deliver a peer-led mental health program in Bikaner district schools with 11th-grade Champions covering mental health, gender, substance use, and social media influence.
• AHC Mobile Application Mobile application co-developed with youth through the Youth Advisory Board, used for curriculum delivery and virtual programming sessions. Enables Champions to conduct virtual sessions on topics such as COVID-19, Gender, and Puberty beyond physical school settings.
• AHC Merchandise Shop Online branded merchandise storefront selling t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, joggers, bucket hats, eco tote bags, fanny packs, phone cases (iPhone and Samsung), mugs, stickers, and kids clothing. Fulfillment, printing, and shipment are powered by Printful. All proceeds support Adolescent Health Champions Inc.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,100+ Champions trained, 39,500+ adolescents educated across 304 schools
• +5 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

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Urmul Setu Sansthan (USS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023AHC launched a peer-led mental health program in partnership with Urmul Setu Sansthan (USS) in 2023 in rural Rajasthan. The program trains 11th-grade students as Champions to lead interactive sessions on mental health, gender, substance use, and social media influence in schools in Bikaner district. In 2024, the program reached 25 schools, with 540 Champions engaging over 3,300 adolescents. USS provides local expertise, community connections, and culturally relevant support for program delivery.
• Ugam Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022AHC partners with Ugam Education Foundation since 2022 to work in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs)—government-run residential schools serving girls from marginalized communities in Jharkhand. The partnership focuses on peer-led health education, training 9th-grade girls as Champions to lead sessions for students in grades 8 and 9 on menstrual health, mental well-being, and gender equality. Since 2022, over 2,900 Champions have been trained across 161 KGBVs, reaching more than 19,000 adolescent girls.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pratham Education Foundation: Large Indian education non-profit delivering school-based learning and life-skills programs, including health and gender content. Comparable to AHC as a peer-led, school-anchored Indian education NGO targeting disadvantaged youth.
• Restless Development: Youth-led development non-profit that trains young people as peer educators and leaders in health and civic engagement across Africa and Asia. Closely comparable to AHC's youth-led peer education model and youth advisory governance.
• Girl Rising: A non-profit that uses education and storytelling to advance girls' empowerment and health/wellbeing outcomes in low-income countries. Comparable to AHC in its girls-focused, education-driven programming for adolescent populations.
• YPeer: International youth peer-education network focused on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, including in India. Comparable to AHC in its youth peer-educator approach to adolescent SRH topics.

Broad incumbents

• Population Council: Global research and programmatic non-profit working on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, including evidence generation similar to AHC's peer-reviewed work. Larger, more established, with a similar adolescent health focus but much broader geographic and thematic scope.
• Women Deliver: Global advocacy and partnership organization advancing gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women. Comparable to AHC's gender-equity framing of adolescent health programming.
• Pathfinder International: Global health non-profit delivering sexual and reproductive health programs, including youth-focused interventions. Comparable to AHC in addressing reproductive and gender health for adolescents, though operating at much larger scale.
• Save the Children: Large international NGO running school-based health, nutrition, and gender programs for children and adolescents globally, including in India. Comparable in target population and school-based delivery, but vastly larger and broader in scope.
• UNICEF: Global UN agency for children's rights and wellbeing, with significant adolescent health, gender, and education programming in India. Comparable as a funder and standards-setter for adolescent health interventions, though vastly larger.

Regional players

• Dasra: India-focused philanthropy intermediary and capacity-builder that funds and supports adolescent-focused non-profits. Comparable to AHC as an India-based organization focused on adolescent wellbeing and gender equity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ahchampions
• Facebookfacebook.com/AdolescentHealthChampions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adolescenthealthchampions
• Instagraminstagram.com/adolescenthealthchampions

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Adolescent Health Champions