Better Youth

What Better Youth does

Better Youth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 13-4166295) headquartered at 1465 Tamarind Avenue, Los Angeles, California, that builds creative and career skills for foster, homeless, and system-impacted youth ages 16-24 in Los Angeles County. The organization delivers an integrated media-arts and workforce-development ecosystem built around three core programs: AIM-N-Inspire, a 24-week pre-apprenticeship covering animation, interactive gaming, media production, and virtual/mixed realities; the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), a state- and federally-credentialed apprenticeship combining 1,080-2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training with 144+ hours of related instruction and mentorship; and the Real To Reel Global Film Festival, an annual showcase with major-studio partners such as Disney and NBC. Supporting offerings include omnidirectional mentoring, monthly C.A.R.E. Roundtables (hosted with UCLA and LA Film School), the 'Outside The Lab' podcast, and wraparound social services.

Underlying technology is a media-arts training stack rather than a SaaS product: professional animation, gaming, and film/TV production workflows delivered at a South LA facility and through partner venues (LA Film School, UCLA, West LA College). Differentiated components include competency-based apprenticeship tracks (Project Management 2024; Film Production and Video Editing 2025; Animation and Gaming 2026) and a youth-content library built across 10 years of film festival programming.

The business model is philanthropy- and grant-funded, not commercial. All programs are provided at no cost to participants (the AIM-N-Inspire scholarship is internally valued at $3,500 per youth). Funding streams include individual and corporate donations, foundation grants (Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, LA2050, BRIC Foundation, NEA, City National Bank), and in-kind employer sponsorships from Skydance Media, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and NBC. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on referrals from 30+ LA County agency partners, LAUSD, and word-of-mouth, with event-driven demand generation through the film festival and roundtables. Since founding in 2008 (Los Angeles operations since 2010), the organization reports serving 12,000+ youth, delivering 25,000+ mentoring hours, and achieving 90% program retention, 91% high-school-graduation/college-enrollment/employment, and 95% post-RAP employment retention.

Name

Better Youth

Legal name

Better Youth Inc.

Website

https://betteryouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Better Youth is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers media-arts training, mentoring, and a state-credentialed apprenticeship program for foster, homeless, and system-impacted youth ages 16-24 in Los Angeles County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Workforce Training Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Fine Arts Schools (61161), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Media arts training
• Workforce development programs
• Foster youth support
• Apprenticeship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations: Better Youth operates as an IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN #13-4166295) funded primarily through individual and corporate donations. The organization accepts donations through its website with messaging emphasizing that every dollar invested equals increased opportunities for youth.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations including the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, corporations, and government entities. The organization maintains a network of supporters including corporations, stakeholders, foundations, government entities, mentors, alumni, and philanthropists.
3. Program Services (Free to Participants): All programs including AIM-N-Inspire pre-apprenticeship (valued at $3500 scholarship) and Registered Apprenticeship are provided at no cost to participants. The organization covers all enrollment and program activity costs including equipment access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Better Youth is a nonprofit organization that provides free media arts training, omnidirectional mentoring, professional skills development, and social support services for foster and system-impacted youth ages 16-24 in Los Angeles County. Its core programs include the 24-week AIM-N-Inspire pre-apprenticeship (animation, gaming, film/TV, new media), the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) offering state/federal credentials in creative economy career tracks, and the annual Real To Reel Global Film Festival. All programs are delivered at no cost to eligible youth participants and funded through donations and grants.

Product overview

Better Youth is a nonprofit social impact organization offering a multi-tiered media arts and workforce development ecosystem for foster and system-impacted youth ages 16-24 in Los Angeles. Its core offerings include: AIM-N-Inspire, a 24-week pre-apprenticeship program providing training in animation, interactive gaming, media production, and virtual/mixed realities; the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), a government-backed workforce development program for ages 18+ with career tracks in project management, game design, animation, multimedia arts, and video editing; and Real To Reel Global, an annual film festival celebrating youth filmmakers. These programs are unified by an omnidirectional mentoring approach, professional skills development, social support services, and the goal of preparing youth for sustained success in the creative economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AIM-N-Inspire: A pre-apprenticeship program offering training in animation, interactive gaming, media production, and virtual/mixed realities for foster and system-impacted youth ages 16-24.
• Real To Reel Global
• Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP)

Products and services

• AIM-N-Inspire Pre-Apprenticeship Program
• Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP)
• Real To Reel Global Film Festival
• Mentoring Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% program retention rate
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Skydance MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkydance Media is a board-level partner represented by Robin Mayemura (Vice Chair) and Tiffany Miller (BY-RAP Sponsor). The company provides apprenticeship sponsorship, mentorship opportunities, and program support for Better Youth's media arts training programs including AIM-N-Inspire. Alum Breyon Jackson obtained internship at Skydance Studio through the partnership.
• Warner Bros. DiscoverycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWarner Bros. Discovery is represented at the board level by Naomi Manning. The entertainment company supports Better Youth's workforce development initiatives and provides industry expertise for apprenticeship programs.
• DisneymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisney partners with Better Youth for the annual Real To Reel Global Film Festival and provides transformative experiences for youth participants. Alum Johna Rivers works for Disney on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.
• NBCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBC partners with Better Youth for the Real To Reel Global Film Festival, providing industry access and exhibition opportunities for youth filmmakers.
• State of California Department of Industrial RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState of California Department of Industrial Relations oversees and supports Better Youth's Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), providing state/federal apprenticeship credentials and program oversight.
• West LA CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest LA College is represented on the RAP Committee through Tiffany Miller. The college provides educational pathway connections and related supplemental instruction for apprenticeship programs.
• Entertainment Equity AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntertainment Equity Alliance supports Better Youth's Registered Apprenticeship Program, providing industry connections and equity-focused workforce development support.
• Southbay Workforce Investment BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthbay Workforce Investment Board supports Better Youth's Registered Apprenticeship Program, providing workforce development connections and regional employment resources.
• CareerWiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareerWise supports apprenticeship program development and implementation for Better Youth's workforce initiatives.
• UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCLA partners with Better Youth on the Rooted Photo Voice Initiative and monthly C.A.R.E. Roundtables at LA Film School. Provides research collaboration and youth development programming.
• LA Film SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLA Film School hosts monthly C.A.R.E. Roundtables with Better Youth and UCLA. Provides venue and industry connections for youth programming.
• Los Angeles County DCFScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDCFS representative Jenny Serrano serves on the RAP Committee. The Department of Children and Family Services provides referral pipeline for foster youth participants and program oversight.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: Large national workforce development nonprofit serving low-income young adults with training, apprenticeships, and corporate placements. Comparable apprenticeship-style model and employer-partnership approach, but broader scope, much larger scale, and an established third-party-validated outcomes infrastructure.
• Big Picture Learning: National nonprofit that partners with schools to deliver project-based, mentorship-driven learning for high school students with real-world industry exposure. Comparable project-based, employer-anchored model, though focused on K-12 rather than out-of-school youth.
• Per Scholas: National tech-focused workforce development nonprofit providing tuition-free training and employer connections to adults from under-resourced communities. Comparable skills-to-jobs model, but in technology rather than media arts and at national scale.

Direct peers

• The RightWay Foundation: Los Angeles-based nonprofit serving current and former foster and homeless youth with housing, education, workforce, and wellness services. Directly comparable target population and wraparound service model.
• Ghetto Film School: New York-based nonprofit providing media arts education, filmmaking fellowships, and industry exposure to high school and young adult filmmakers from under-resourced communities. Highly comparable to Better Youth's AIM-N-Inspire and Real To Reel festival tracks.
• iFoster: National nonprofit providing resource navigation, education, and workforce support to foster and transition-age youth. Comparable target demographic and transition-age services model, though at national rather than regional scale.
• BRIC Foundation: Entertainment industry nonprofit supporting workforce development and education-to-career pathways in entertainment for underrepresented youth. BRIC is also a current funder of Better Youth and a leading comparable for entertainment-industry apprenticeship infrastructure.
• Reel Works: Brooklyn-based youth media arts nonprofit offering filmmaking mentorships, after-school programs, and industry partnerships for NYC teens. Comparable program model and target demographic to Better Youth's mentoring and film festival activities.
• Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA): LA-based nonprofit providing arts, athletics, and academic programs to underserved youth ages 6–24. Comparable arts-based youth development model and LA geographic footprint.
• Coalition for Responsible Community Development (CRCD): South LA nonprofit providing workforce development, education, and housing services to system-impacted youth and families. Overlaps Better Youth's geographic footprint, target population, and apprenticeship-style workforce model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/betteryouthlive
• YouTubeyoutube.com/betteryouth
• Facebookfacebook.com/BetterYouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/better-youth
• Instagraminstagram.com/betteryouthlive
• TikToktiktok.com/@betteryouthlive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Better Youth