MentorStark
MentorStark is a Canton, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an online hub that connects youth, schools, employers, and 60+ mentoring programs across Stark County, offering free community and career mentoring, an Opportunity Club, and mentoring events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersCanton, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MentorStark does
MentorStark is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2021 and headquartered in Canton, Ohio. It operates as a collaborative hub connecting young people, schools, businesses, and a network of 60+ mentoring programs across Canton and Stark County, Ohio. Its core product is an online directory and resource platform that helps youth, parents, mentors, and employers find or create mentoring opportunities, supplemented by signature programs including Community Mentoring, Career Mentoring, the Opportunity Club (career exploration and networking for ages 15-27), and the Walk & Talk mega-mentoring event.
The organization's technology footprint is modest and centered on a website-based hub that aggregates program listings, hosts newsletters and updates, and provides intake forms for community members. No mobile app, API, or proprietary software platform is disclosed; integrations with external systems are limited to referrals to partners such as Ohio Means Jobs and Stark Help Central. MentorStark's competitive approach emphasizes an "ecological systems" framework of building webs of support rather than operating its own direct-service mentoring programs.
MentorStark generates no product revenue. Its funding comes from individual donations (accepted via PayPal), corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants, with the Sisters of Charity Foundation notably funding its 2026-2031 Five-Year Strategic Plan. The organization employs a small team led by Executive Director Cassie Ausperk (appointed February 2026 following founder Laurie Moline's retirement) and Development Consultant Taylor Oser-Lakins, with active hiring underway for an Opportunity Guide. All programs and services are offered free of charge to participants.
MentorStark firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MentorStark
- Legal name
- MentorStark
- Website
- https://mentorstark.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MentorStark is a Canton, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an online hub that connects youth, schools, employers, and 60+ mentoring programs across Stark County, offering free community and career mentoring, an Opportunity Club, and mentoring events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MentorStark industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mentoring Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)
Keywords
Where MentorStark is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Canton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MentorStark business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorships: Nonprofit relies on donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. Sponsors are featured on the website. Contact Cassie Ausperk for sponsorship information or submit donations through PayPal.
- Foundation and Grant Funding: Funding from foundations such as Sisters of Charity Foundation who funded the development of the Five-Year Strategic Plan (2026-2031).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
MentorStark product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MentorStark operates as a collaborative online hub connecting young people, mentors, schools, and businesses in Canton and Stark County, Ohio. The organization facilitates connections between youth and community/career mentoring programs, hosts events such as Walk & Talk mega mentoring events, and operates the Opportunity Club for career exploration and networking for young adults ages 15-27. All programs and services are provided free of charge to participants.
Product overview
MentorStark is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving as a hub for the mentoring movement in Stark County, Ohio. The organization operates a unified platform of programs including Community Mentoring (school and community-based programs), Career Mentoring (workforce development), the Opportunity Club (career exploration and networking for ages 15-27), and the Walk & Talk Mega Mentoring Event. The core offering is connection facilitation between young people and mentors, supported by a Resources Hub providing curated materials for various stakeholders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Community Mentoring Community-based and school-based mentoring programs connecting young people with mentors in Stark County, Ohio.
- Career Mentoring Workforce development through career-based mentoring connecting students and young adults with professionals for career exploration and development.
- Opportunity Club Career exploration and networking activities for young adults ages 15-27, focusing on building social capital and helping members identify strengths and pathways to reach their full potential through facilitated networking and job shadowing with trained mentors.
- Walk & Talk: A Mega Mentoring Event Flash mentoring event with health-related activities, bringing together young people (middle-school aged to 27 years) with professionals for one-on-one or group mentoring discussions through physical activity.
- Resources Hub Online resource directory providing curated links and materials for young adults, parents, families, mentors, community members, mentoring organizations, and businesses.
Quantifiable outcome
- Stark County youth feel less connected to school, friends, and family than other adolescents in the U.S. (2018 Northeast Ohio Youth Health Survey)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use MentorStark
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MentorStark technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
MentorStark partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Canton City School DistrictcorePartner school district for Walk & Talk event and various mentoring programs including Bulldog Activity Center venue hosting.
- Ohio Means JobscoreState workforce development resource integrated into career exploration resources for young people in Stark County.
- Mentor of Central OhiominorOhio affiliate of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership providing free technical and capacity-building assistance to mentoring organizations in the region.
- Stark Help CentralminorResource hub helping quickly find Stark County resources for basic needs, emergencies, mental health, parenting, legal assistance, etc.
- SuccessBound OhiocoreOhio's educational approach bringing together business and education partnerships to engage and inspire students about career opportunities.
- Canton Regional Chamber of CommercecoreRegional chamber partner for yStark! young professional program and Employer Internship Toolkit supporting business mentoring engagement.
- America's Promise AlliancecoreNational alliance driving movement to improve youth lives, providing research framework on webs of support that informs MentorStark's ecological approach to youth development.
- MENTOR: The National Mentoring PartnershipcoreNational organization with mission to fuel quantity and quality of mentoring relationships. Provides resources, webinars, Mentoring Connector database, and hosts National Mentoring Summit. Laurie Moline serves as consultant.
- National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC)minorFunded by Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), offers free resources and tools to help mentoring organizations adopt evidence-based best practices.
- Strategic Plan PartnerscoreCollaborative network including youth, families, schools, employers, mentoring programs, and community organizations working together to strengthen mentoring movement in Stark County.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MentorStark competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit connecting young adults (18-24) to corporate careers via mentoring, training, and internships. Comparable target demographic and career-exposure mechanism, though operating at larger geographic and programmatic scale.
Direct peers
- iMentor: National nonprofit that pairs college-focused youth with adult mentors through structured technology-enabled programs. Comparable as a youth mentoring intermediary leveraging partnerships with schools to deliver mentoring at scale.
- Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio: Work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs for K-12 students delivered through volunteer mentors. Already a listed MentorStark partner with overlapping Stark County footprint and employer-volunteer pipeline.
- United Way of Greater Stark County: Regional United Way affiliate funding and convening local health, education, and youth programs in Stark County. Comparable geographic footprint and donor base; both Executive Director Cassie Ausperk and founder Laurie Moline previously worked there.
Broad incumbents
- MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership: National umbrella organization advancing youth mentoring through advocacy, research, and the Mentoring Connector database. Directly comparable mission; MentorStark's founder is now a consultant there and it is a Core strategic partner.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit providing mentoring, academic support, and career exploration to young people. Comparable youth-development mission and similar reliance on local chapters, donations, and corporate sponsors.
- America's Promise Alliance: National cross-sector alliance driving youth outcomes via the 'Five Promises' framework (which underpins MentorStark's webs-of-support model). Comparable convening role across schools, employers, and nonprofits.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest US youth mentoring nonprofit offering one-to-one mentoring for ages 6-18. Directly comparable as a listed MentorStark partner and as a youth mentoring program competing for the same Stark County volunteer pool and grant funding.
Others
- National Mentoring Resource Center: OJJDP-funded national resource hub providing evidence-based tools and best practices to mentoring programs. Comparable hub function and a listed MentorStark partner, but acts as a capacity-builder rather than direct program operator.
Regional players
- Take Stock in Children: Florida-based statewide nonprofit providing mentoring, scholarships, and college support to at-risk youth. Comparable as a Florida/regional youth mentoring intermediary leveraging school partnerships and donor funding.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
MentorStark social profiles
Digital presenceMentorStark financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MentorStark leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
MentorStark subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
MentorStark funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MentorStark M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MentorStark
What does MentorStark do?
MentorStark operates as a collaborative online hub connecting young people, mentors, schools, and businesses in Canton and Stark County, Ohio. The organization facilitates connections between youth and community/career mentoring programs, hosts events such as Walk & Talk mega mentoring events, and operates the Opportunity Club for career exploration and networking for young adults ages 15-27. All programs and services are provided free of charge to participants.
Is MentorStark a public or private company?
MentorStark is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MentorStark founded?
MentorStark was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MentorStark based?
MentorStark is headquartered in Canton, United States, in the North America region.
How does MentorStark make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Grant Funding.
Who are MentorStark's main competitors?
Year Up is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are iMentor, Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio and United Way of Greater Stark County. Broad incumbents are MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, America's Promise Alliance and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. National Mentoring Resource Center is listed as an others. Take Stock in Children is listed as a regional player.
Does MentorStark have an API?
No public API is recorded for MentorStark.
What industry is MentorStark in?
MentorStark's product category is Youth Mentoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAD, Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAK, Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.