Michigan Youth Leadership

What Michigan Youth Leadership does

Michigan Youth Leadership (MYLead) is a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2003 and headquartered in Bay City, Michigan. The organization runs a flagship three-day residential leadership conference hosted exclusively at Michigan State University in East Lansing, targeting high school sophomores who are nominated by their schools. Programming covers self-confidence, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, public speaking, leadership styles, goal setting, and community service, delivered through experiential workshops, small "homegroups" of 8-10 participants led by 2-3 volunteers, and on-campus living. Annual attendance exceeds 400 students drawn from across Michigan high schools.

MYLead is operated entirely by unpaid volunteers, with over 250 individuals supporting conference facilitation, planning, and corporate board functions. Revenue is generated through voluntary donations from community groups, businesses, and individuals, supplemented by a $185 fee charged to schools for each nominated student beyond the first complimentary attendee per school. The first student from every Michigan high school attends free of charge, positioning accessibility as a core operating principle. The organization also administers a $500 academic scholarship and runs the MYLead Community Board, an alumni engagement program hosting year-round social and philanthropic gatherings.

The organization is currently in a transitional state: the Corporate Board cancelled the May and June 2026 conferences to ensure long-term sustainability and is using the pause to reimagine operations, with 2027 conferences being planned. Distribution is entirely nomination-based through Michigan high schools, supplemented by digital channels (website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter) and direct email outreach from recruitment staff.

Name

Michigan Youth Leadership

Legal name

Michigan Youth Leadership

Website

https://mylead.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Michigan Youth Leadership (MYLead) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2003 that runs three-day residential leadership conferences at Michigan State University for high school sophomores nominated by their schools across Michigan, supported entirely by 250+ unpaid volunteers and donor funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO)

Keywords

• Youth leadership development
• Leadership conferences
• Nonprofit youth programs
• Student leadership training
• Youth empowerment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bay City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: MYLead is funded largely through donations from community groups, businesses, and individuals. The organization is a federally-recognized 501(c)3 non-profit and accepts donations through PayPal and other channels.
2. School Fees: MYLead fully covers the cost for at least one person nominated by every school in the state to attend in-person, free of charge. If a school nominates more than one student, MYLead bills the school $185 for each additional student.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Michigan Youth Leadership (MYLead) operates a three-day, in-person high-energy leadership conference at Michigan State University for nominated Michigan high school sophomores. The program covers self-confidence, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, public speaking, goal setting, and leadership styles through experiential learning in small 'homegroups' of 8-10 participants, supplemented by a $500 academic scholarship program for young leaders pursuing post-secondary education.

Product overview

Michigan Youth Leadership (MYLead) operates as a single flagship product—a three-day high-energy leadership conference for high school sophomores—supplemented by additional offerings including an academic scholarship program, volunteer opportunities with over 250 participants, and an alumni engagement program through the MYLead Community Board. All programs focus on developing young leaders in Michigan through service and leadership skills, with conferences held annually at Michigan State University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MYLead Conference
• MYLead Academic Scholarship

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Michigan State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Michigan State University serves as the exclusive venue for all MYLead conferences. The partnership involves hosting events on MSU campus, with students and volunteers housed in university dormitories. MSU provides facilities including classrooms, conference rooms, and outdoor spaces for programming. MSU Dining staff accommodates allergies and dietary needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America): DECA is a student-led organization that prepares high school students for careers in business, marketing, and leadership through competitive events and conferences. It overlaps MYLead's high-school leadership-development mission but with a business/competition orientation.
• Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA): FCCLA is a national student-led career and technical organization for high school students focused on leadership, career, and family/community engagement. It shares MYLead's high-school youth-leadership focus and experiential conference format.
• National Association of Student Councils (NASC): NASC supports student government and leadership in middle and high schools through training, recognition, and conferences. It addresses a closely related niche to MYLead's leadership development programs for high school students.

Broad incumbents

• 4-H (National 4-H Council): 4-H is a national youth-development organization offering leadership, civic, and life-skills programs through local clubs and extension offices. It shares MYLead's youth-leadership and positive-youth-development mission and volunteer-driven model.
• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement is a large, established nonprofit delivering leadership, work-readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to K-12 students across the U.S. It overlaps MYLead's youth-leadership development mission but at a much broader national scale.
• YMCA of the USA: YMCA is a large national nonprofit offering youth leadership, character development, and teen programs across local Y branches. It overlaps MYLead's youth character and leadership development mission but delivers through ongoing facility-based programming.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs operates a national network of youth-development facilities offering leadership, academic, and character programs. While facility-based rather than conference-based, it overlaps MYLead's mission to develop leadership and life skills in school-age youth.

Direct peers

• Lead America / Lead2Change: Lead2Change (formerly Lead America) is a nonprofit running student leadership training programs, summits, and curriculum in schools across the U.S. It is a direct competitor in the youth leadership development space with a similar conference-driven delivery model.
• Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY): HOBY runs state- and national-level multi-day leadership seminars for high school sophomores, supported by alumni volunteers and donations. It is the closest direct analogue to MYLead's high-school-sophomore, volunteer-run, donor-funded conference model.
• LeaderShape Institute: LeaderShape runs intensive residential leadership programs for young adults, including high school and college students, focused on values-driven leadership. It mirrors MYLead's experiential, small-group conference format and mission-aligned curriculum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/myleadorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/MYLead
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-youth-leadership-mylead-
• Instagraminstagram.com/myleadorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Michigan Youth Leadership