LEAD Center For Youth

What LEAD Center For Youth does

L.E.A.D. Center For Youth (legal entity L.E.A.D., Inc., DBA L.E.A.D. Center For Youth) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 by former Chicago Cubs outfielder C.J. Stewart and Kelli Stewart in Atlanta, Georgia. The organization uses sports — baseball for boys and tennis for girls — as the vehicle for youth development, targeting students in Atlanta Public Schools who live at or below the poverty line. Core products include the year-round L.E.A.D. Sports-Based Youth Development Programs (grades 3–12), the Breaking Barriers ATL four-phase curriculum (Assessment, Engagement, Empowerment, Application), the Lady Ambassador tennis program, and since 2023 the Pedagogy for Pros six-module online coaching certification course delivered via LearnWorlds with in-person training components. Outcomes are measured using the Hello Insight social-emotional learning instrument across seven 21st Century capacities (Goal Orientation, Self-Confidence, Academic Self-Efficacy, Contribution, Positive Identity, Self-Management, Social Capital).

The underlying technology stack is light and domain-specific rather than software-centric: proprietary content (ATBATS Methodology, L.E.A.D. 6As Framework, Pedagogy for Pros curriculum) delivered through LearnWorlds LMS, social-emotional measurement via Hello Insight, and a WordPress-based web and blog presence. There is no public API, SDK, or mobile app. Distribution is direct through the Atlanta Public Schools partnership (covering middle and elementary students), seasonal Breaking Barriers Baseball Camps and Clinics, the annual USA Baseball Southeast NTIS ID Camp (since January 2025), and events such as the Peachtree Road Race with Atlanta Track Club.

Revenue is generated through a mix of corporate sponsorships (tiered at $5,000 Rookie, $10,000 Ambassador, $15,000 Presenting for the State of L.E.A.D. 2025 event), foundation and community grants (including the Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation Sports Matter initiative), individual donations, and paid coaching certification fees. The organization employs 53 staff, has served over 5,500 Black boys since founding, and is governed by a Board of Directors and Leadership Advisory Council with no external parent or ownership structure.

Name

LEAD Center For Youth

Legal name

L.E.A.D., Inc.

Website

https://leadcenterforyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

L.E.A.D. Center For Youth is a 501(c)(3) Atlanta nonprofit that uses baseball for boys and tennis for girls to deliver youth development programming, coaching certification, and social-emotional outcomes tracking for underserved students in Atlanta Public Schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Youth sports development
• Nonprofit youth services
• Sports-based mentoring
• Community youth programs
• Coaching certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide funding in exchange for recognition at events and digital/print materials. Sponsorship tiers include Presenting ($15,000), Ambassador ($10,000), and Rookie ($5,000).
2. Foundation and Community Grants: Funding from foundations and community groups including the Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation Sports Matter initiative.
3. Individual Donations: Individual supporters contribute through the organization's donation portal.
4. Coaching Certification Fees: Revenue from the Pedagogy for Pros online coaching certification course, a paid educational program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LEAD Center for Youth is a nonprofit organization that delivers year-round sports-based youth development programs to underserved Atlanta youth, using baseball for boys and tennis for girls as vehicles for mentorship, academic support, life skills, and social-emotional learning. The organization serves students from Atlanta Public Schools living at or below the poverty line, providing coaching, transportation, and resources to remove access barriers, while measuring outcomes through the Hello Insight framework across seven 21st Century capacities.

Product overview

L.E.A.D. Center For Youth is a sports-based youth development nonprofit offering a portfolio of programs centered on using baseball for boys and tennis for girls to combat crime, poverty, and racism. The core offerings include year-round athletic programs for grades 3-12, the Breaking Barriers ATL four-phase development framework, and the Pedagogy for Pros coaching certification. The organization leverages Hello Insight to measure social-emotional outcomes across seven tracked capacities. Additional offerings include LEAD TV video content and the 'Living To L.E.A.D.' book by the founders. Programs operate primarily through partnerships with Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta Braves, and USA Baseball.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• L.E.A.D. Sports-Based Youth Development Programs Year-round youth development programs using baseball for boys in grades 3-12 and tennis for girls to build life skills, academic achievement, and civic engagement for students living at or below the poverty line in Atlanta Public Schools.
• Pedagogy for Pros Coaching Certification A six-module online coaching certification course covering values-based coaching, coaching for growth, the ATBATS Methodology, the L.E.A.D. 6As Framework, and coach-player relationships, with in-person training at L.E.A.D. Center for Youth and Atlanta-area baseball fields, targeting coaches of underserved youth.
• Breaking Barriers ATL (BBATL) A structured youth development initiative with four phases (Assessment, Engagement, Empowerment, and Application) designed to help student-athletes make a healthy transition into adulthood, including the annual Safe at Home Game where Atlanta high school players face area police officers to build trust and respect.
• LEAD TV Video content platform showcasing the organization's media, news coverage, and programmatic storytelling to highlight youth development outcomes.
• Living To L.E.A.D. (Book) A book by the organization's founders documenting the story of passion, purpose, and grit behind the L.E.A.D. mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of LEAD youth reported gaining supportive adults in their lives within one program cycle
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USA BaseballcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2025LEAD Center for Youth collaborated with USA Baseball to host their NTIS ID Camp in the inner-city of Atlanta for the first time. The USA Baseball Southeast NTIS Camp, sponsored by LEAD, took place on January 4, 2025 at D.M. Therrell High School.
• Atlanta BravescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025LEAD partners with Atlanta Braves to offer boys' baseball league for Black youth. The Atlanta Braves and LEAD launched a spring league in Atlanta Public Schools for middle school students in 2010 and for elementary school students two years ago.
• Dick's Sporting Goods FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation's Sports Matter initiative partners with L.E.A.D. and other nonprofits across the country to help level the playing field of access so more youth can have empowering, transformative experiences through sport.
• Atlanta Public Schools AthleticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Atlanta Public Schools Athletics for the Breaking Barriers ATL program and annual L.E.A.D. x APS Spring Baseball Season.
• Atlanta Track ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Atlanta Track Club for the annual AJC Peachtree Road Race. L.E.A.D. ambassadors participate annually, helping remove barriers and create opportunities for underserved youth to participate in Atlanta traditions.
• D.M. Therrell High School Baseball ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site partner for the USA Baseball Southeast NTIS Camp, providing the facility for the talent identification event.
• Atlanta Public Schools - Lady Ambassador Tennis ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSTA Southern partnership featuring Kelli and Mackenzi Stewart on Talking Tennis Southern Style podcast discussing the Lady Ambassador tennis program focused on athletics, academics, civic engagement and commerce.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA): Nonprofit providing coach education and certification programs that develop 'better athletes, better people.' Highly comparable to LEAD's Pedagogy for Pros certification and ATBATS Methodology as a paid coach-training offering.
• MLB RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities): MLB's flagship youth baseball program serving underserved communities and increasing diversity in the sport. Closely comparable to LEAD's baseball-for-Black-youth mission, MLB integration, and Breaking Barriers ATL framework.
• Right To Play: International nonprofit using sport and play to educate and empower children and youth facing adversity. Comparable to LEAD's sports-as-development-tool philosophy and outcome-measurement orientation.
• Police Athletic League (PAL): National nonprofit that uses athletics — including baseball — to build character, education, and citizenship for underserved urban youth. Directly comparable to LEAD's sports-based youth development model, target demographic, and community-anchored delivery.
• Up2Us Sports: Nonprofit focused on sports-based youth development and coach training for underserved communities. Directly comparable to LEAD's dual mission of youth programming and coaching capacity-building through Pedagogy for Pros.

Emerging players

• City Year: Education-focused nonprofit deploying near-peer mentors in underserved schools to improve student outcomes. Comparable to LEAD in deploying trusted adults inside schools to drive social-emotional and academic outcomes for youth in poverty.

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: Major civil rights and urban-advocacy nonprofit with youth development programming targeting African-American communities. Comparable mission scope to LEAD's focus on combatting crime, poverty, and racism through youth empowerment.
• YMCA of the USA: Large U.S. youth development organization providing sports, aquatics, and youth programs through community-based branches. Overlaps with LEAD on sports instruction for youth and community-anchored delivery, but operates at much greater scale across many sports.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: The largest U.S. youth development nonprofit, providing sports, education, and mentorship programs for at-risk youth through a national club network. Overlaps with LEAD on target demographic and programming mix, but operates at vastly greater scale across a broader portfolio.

Regional players

• National Youth Baseball Academy: Nonprofit using baseball and softball to develop urban youth through academic support and athletics. Directly comparable to LEAD's baseball-as-development model, though it operates primarily out of a single regional hub.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leadatlanta
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@leadcenterforyouthATL
• Facebookfacebook.com/LEAD2Legacy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leadcenterforyouth
• Instagraminstagram.com/lead2legacy_atl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 LEAD Center For Youth