GOOD TROUBLE

What GOOD TROUBLE does

Good Trouble is a Minnesota-based, youth-led nonprofit movement organization founded by Jose Perez (Chief Troublemaker/Executive Director) and Julian Spencer (Movement Lead/Vice President), both formerly of Bridgemakers. The organization advances nonviolent organizing as a practice of democracy and operates the Youth Saving Learning model, a three-pillar framework that modernizes John Lewis's six steps of nonviolent action for K-12 and community contexts: Youth-Led Listening (student-facilitated focus groups), Collective Sensemaking (intergenerational meaning-making), and Making Good Trouble (joint youth-adult action to shift practice, culture, and policy). Its products and services consist of programs rather than technology products — notably the Youth Organizers program for ages 14-24, the annual State of the Youth convening (first held March 27, 2025, with 200 participants), the Youth Policy Forum at the MN Capitol, and the Youth Justice Community Forum co-hosted with Hennepin County Attorney's Office and Legal Rights Center. The organization does not use a proprietary technology platform; delivery is human-facilitated through schools, community organizations, and county partnerships.

Good Trouble serves a primarily Minnesota-based constituency including youth ages 14-24, schools and school districts (Saint Paul Public Schools, High School of Recording Arts, and others), community organizations, and government partners (Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Minnesota Legislature). The network has grown to over 2,000 young people and community members since 2022, with a stated 2030 ambition to reach over 300,000 high school students via statewide scaling. Revenue derives from grants and charitable contributions, with named foundation partners including The Carlson Family Foundation, The Graves Family Foundation, The Minneapolis Foundation, Piper Family Fund II, and Zephyr Impact. The core team of approximately 6-10 staff includes an Interim Managing Director, an Operations & Admin Manager, two Movement Strategists, two Movement Organizers, and youth organizer roles. No commercial pricing exists — all youth-facing programs are free, funded by grants and donations. The organization has demonstrated policy impact via testimony on teacher licensure at the MN Legislature and by placing Good Troublemakers on youth advisory councils in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties.

Name

GOOD TROUBLE

Legal name

Good Trouble

Website

https://goodtroublemn.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Organizing and Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Social Assistance (624), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools) (EDAJAEAI)

Keywords

• Youth organizing programs
• Youth civic engagement
• Nonprofit education advocacy
• Community youth development
• Nonviolent organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Good Trouble operates as a grant-funded nonprofit organization. The organization maintains grant tracking systems and pursues funding opportunities from foundations and government sources to support youth organizing programs and operational activities.
2. Donations and Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, Good Trouble likely accepts charitable donations and contributions to support its mission of advancing youth nonviolent organizing.
3. Foundation and Corporate Partnerships: The organization partners with allied foundations including The Carlson Family Foundation, The Graves Family Foundation, The Minneapolis Foundation, Piper Family Fund II, and Zephyr Impact for financial support.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Good Trouble operates a youth-led nonprofit movement that trains and mobilizes young people (ages 14-24) as organizers through its signature Youth Saving Learning model, a three-pillar framework (Youth-Led Listening, Collective Sensemaking, Making Good Trouble) grounded in John Lewis's six steps of nonviolent action. The organization delivers school-based programs, hosts community forums and the annual State of the Youth convening, and conducts policy advocacy at the Minnesota Legislature to advance youth voice in education reform.

Product overview

Good Trouble is a nonprofit youth-led movement (not a technology product company) that advances youth nonviolent organizing through its core Youth Saving Learning Model. The model consists of three interconnected pillars: Youth-Led Listening Sessions (student focus groups), Collective Sensemaking (intergenerational meaning-making), and Making Good Trouble (direct action for systemic change). The organization also runs Youth Organizers programs for ages 14-24, annual State of the Youth convenings, Youth Justice Community Forums, and Youth Policy Forums. All programs aim to cultivate belonging, purpose, and power for young people while transforming schools and communities into places where democracy is practiced.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Saving Learning: Good Trouble's three-step model for youth-led nonviolent organizing where youth listen to peers, make sense of what they hear, and take action with adults to improve belonging, purpose, and power across schools and communities.

Products and services

• Youth Saving Learning Model A three-pillar youth organizing framework comprising Youth-Led Listening (authentic student-led focus groups), Collective Sensemaking (youth and adults making meaning together), and Making Good Trouble (youth and adults acting together to shift practices, culture, and policy). Designed for delivery in schools and communities by youth facilitators and adult partners.
• Youth Organizers Program A leadership pathway for young people ages 14-24 to grow as organizers, storytellers, and movement leaders, building organizing, storytelling, and leadership skills while engaging peers in youth-led movement building.
• State of the Youth (SOTY) An annual convening that brings together youth, community members, educators, and policymakers to hear from youth leaders about the state of youth and their vision for the future, featuring panel discussions, workshops, and youth-led dialogue.
• Youth Justice Community Forum A community forum hosted in partnership with Hennepin County Attorney's Office and Legal Rights Center, bringing together youth and justice system stakeholders to discuss youth justice reform.
• Youth Policy Forum An annual forum held at the Minnesota Capitol engaging youth leaders in policy development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 young people and community members joined the network since 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• YouthprisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouthprise is an allied partner supporting Good Trouble's youth organizing work. Julian Spencer co-chairs Youthprise's Policy fellowship, indicating a strategic alignment in youth development and policy advocacy.
• Search InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSearch Institute is an allied partner, bringing research expertise in youth development and developmental assets to support Good Trouble's mission.
• High School for Recording Arts (HSRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Trouble co-designed a middle school with HSRA in St. Paul. Co-founder Jose Perez is a graduate of HSRA, and the organization shares a focus on alternative education approaches.
• Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPPS is an allied partner, collaborating with Good Trouble on youth voice initiatives and school transformation efforts in St. Paul schools.
• Hennepin County Attorney's OfficemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Trouble hosted Youth Justice Community Forum in partnership with Hennepin County Attorney's Office and Legal Rights Center. The County Attorney and Head of DOJ's youth justice office participated as panelists.
• Legal Rights CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Good Trouble on Youth Justice Community Forum, providing legal expertise and youth justice perspective to the conversation.
• Center for Policy DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Trouble was selected by Center for Policy Design to develop strategy to educate and engage MN student leaders about the New Technology of Learning, with mentorship from school and district leaders.
• BridgemakerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth co-founders previously led Bridgemakers' Transforming Schools to Transform Lives initiative. Bridgemakers is described as a youth-led Minnesota nonprofit, indicating historical and ongoing strategic alignment.
• Wilder ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilder Research conducted evaluation work for Good Trouble's co-published recommendations report 'Transform Schools to Transform Lives: Why Justice-Involved Youth are Reimagining School.'
• EQ LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEQ Learning contributed to the co-published recommendations report alongside Wilder Research and Good Trouble.
• Hennepin CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Troublemakers selected to serve on Hennepin County's Youth Advisory Council, with one serving as the chair. Active collaboration on youth voice initiatives.
• Ramsey CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Troublemakers selected to serve on Ramsey County's youth advisory councils, indicating county-level partnership for youth engagement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mikva Challenge: Chicago-based nonprofit advancing youth civic engagement through action civics programs in schools. Comparable on mission to cultivate youth voice in schools and on the policy/community engagement delivery model.
• Generation Citizen: National nonprofit bringing action civics to schools and colleges, mobilizing youth to address community issues. Closely mirrors Good Trouble's school-based, youth-led civic participation model.
• Youthprise: Minnesota-based youth development nonprofit and Good Trouble ally, with overlapping focus on youth organizing, policy advocacy, and youth-led leadership pipelines in Minnesota.
• Bridgemakers: Youth-led Minnesota nonprofit where Good Trouble's co-founders previously built the Transforming Schools to Transform Lives initiative. Directly comparable on mission, geography, youth-led organizing methodology, and education-justice focus.
• High School for Recording Arts (HSRA): St. Paul alternative education school with which Good Trouble co-designed a middle school. Comparable on alternative education and youth reengagement, particularly for justice-involved youth.

Emerging players

• DoSomething.org: Youth-led social change nonprofit mobilizing young people around community campaigns. Comparable on youth-led movement building though operates at much larger national scale.

Regional players

• Legal Rights Center: Minnesota-based youth justice nonprofit that partnered on Good Trouble's Youth Justice Community Forum. Comparable on justice-involved youth advocacy and Minnesota footprint.
• Search Institute: Minnesota-based youth development research organization and Good Trouble partner. Comparable on youth development frameworks and Minnesota civic ecosystem presence.

Broad incumbents

• iCivics: Established national civic education nonprofit providing curriculum and resources for K–12 schools. Comparable in advancing youth civic participation though primarily curriculum-based rather than youth-led organizing.
• Education Reimagined: National learner-centered education advocacy network that has featured Good Trouble presentations. Operates in the same learner-centered K–12 transformation space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goodtroublemn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

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 GOOD TROUBLE