Resilient

What Resilient does

Resilient is a 501c3 nonprofit ministry founded January 1, 2018 and headquartered at 136 E Highland Avenue in Villa Park, Illinois. The organization develops youth through mentoring relationships and operates programs serving marginalized youth and families across DuPage County, with particular focus on the Roosevelt Road Corridor. Its work targets social and economic disparity through character development, workforce preparation, and community fellowship, with the explicit mission of producing self-empowered, self-sufficient, and resilient community members.

The organization's core offerings include the Upstart pre-apprenticeship workforce readiness program — a 12-week curriculum for high school seniors to young adults covering math for apprenticeship exams, resume writing, interview training, and character development — alongside the Family Dinner monthly community meal program hosted at The Salvation Army of Oakbrook Terrace and volunteer-led mentoring and tutoring roles for middle and high school students. Resilient does not operate proprietary technology; program delivery occurs in person at partner school locations (Addison Trail, Willowbrook, York), The Salvation Army facility, and the Resilient office, with no mobile app, API, or software product surface.

The organization is funded primarily through individual and corporate donations and through the Gene Haas Foundation scholarship stream, with all participant-facing programs provided free of charge. Governance rests with a volunteer board of directors chaired by Doug Nelson, and day-to-day operations are led by Executive Director Dagmar Porcelli alongside a seven-person staff and a network of volunteer mentors and community partners including trade contractors ECI Construction and MTH Industries, multiple DuPage County high schools, and area churches.

Name

Resilient

Legal name

Resilient

Website

https://resilientstrong.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Resilient is a 501c3 nonprofit ministry in Villa Park, Illinois that delivers youth mentoring, pre-apprenticeship trades training (Upstart), and monthly community meals (Family Dinner) to marginalized youth and families across DuPage County, funded by donations and free to participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Community Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring programs
• Workforce readiness training
• Community meal services
• Pre-apprenticeship programs
• Nonprofit youth development

Headquarters

HQ city

Villa Park

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations support all programs including Family Dinner catering, Upstart program materials, trades application fees, textbooks, field trips, and workforce training scholarships. The organization explicitly states donations help break the cycle of poverty and support self-sufficient, independent, and self-empowered community members.
2. Gene Haas Foundation Scholarships: Upstart participants who successfully complete the program are eligible to apply for Gene Haas Foundation scholarships for CNC technologies and numerology education. This is an inbound grant/scholarship stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Resilient is a 501c3 nonprofit ministry that provides youth mentoring, pre-apprenticeship workforce readiness training (Upstart program), and a monthly community meal and food pantry program (Family Dinner) for marginalized youth and families in DuPage County, Illinois. All programs are delivered free of charge to participants and are funded through individual and corporate donations plus grants such as Gene Haas Foundation scholarships.

Product overview

Resilient is a 501c3 nonprofit ministry that offers multiple youth and community development programs. The core programs include Upstart (a pre-apprenticeship workforce readiness program), Family Dinner (a monthly community meal initiative), and various volunteer-led mentoring and tutoring roles. These programs work together to address youth development, food insecurity, and workforce preparedness in DuPage County communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Upstart A 12-week pre-apprenticeship workforce readiness program for high school seniors to young adults (18+), providing life skills training, trade knowledge, math tutoring for apprenticeship exams, resume writing, interview training, and character development for entering construction trades. Participants who complete the program are eligible to apply for Gene Haas Foundation scholarships for CNC technologies.
• Family Dinner A year-round monthly community meal program held every third Thursday at the Salvation Army of Oakbrook Terrace, providing free catered meals, guest speakers, and a food pantry to address food insecurity in DuPage County. Open to anyone regardless of food stamp eligibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12-week intensive program leading to apprenticeship exam readiness and potential job placement with contractor partners
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Addison Trail High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner school for the Upstart program, providing access to high school students who benefit from career readiness and mentoring programs.
• Willowbrook High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner school; home of Resilient's clinical psychologist board member Erik Engel who serves as school counselor.
• York High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner school for Upstart program recruitment and delivery.
• The Salvation Army of Oakbrook TerracecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the monthly Family Dinner program at their facility (1s415 Summit Avenue). Provides food pantry services for community members. Board member Lindsey Mitchell runs Social Services Programs at this location.
• Calvary United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner in the Resilient ministry network, contributing to community outreach and support.
• Christ Church of Oak BrookminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner; board member Grant Dixon is a member and serves on church committees.
• DuCAPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization in DuPage County.
• ECI ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction industry partner that participates in Upstart's interview night, providing potential employment opportunities for program graduates.
• MTH IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade contractor partner that supports Upstart and may provide employment pathway opportunities for graduates.
• Flooring ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business partner supporting Resilient initiatives.
• Pinnacle DecoratingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business partner in the Resilient network.
• Impact Villa ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner in Villa Park area.
• Trade Unions and ContractorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple union trade organizations and contractors partner with Upstart to provide speakers, interview opportunities, and potential employment for program graduates. These partners attend Upstart's interview night event.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• YouthBuild USA: National nonprofit that channels low-income youth into construction trades training, leadership development, and GED completion. Most directly comparable to Resilient's Upstart program given the parallel apprenticeship/trades pathway for at-risk youth.
• Year Up: National workforce-readiness nonprofit serving young adults 18–24 with training, mentorship, and corporate internships. Closely comparable to Upstart Career Readiness in target population (young adults seeking economic mobility) and structured pre-employment training model.
• Genesys Works: National nonprofit offering skills training, mentoring, and paid corporate internships to high school students from under-resourced communities. Comparable target population and workforce-readiness orientation, though focused on tech/corporate rather than trades pathways.
• Urban Alliance: National nonprofit providing high school students with mentoring, work-based learning, and post-secondary career support. Comparable to Resilient's combined mentoring-plus-workforce-readiness model and target demographic of high-school-age at-risk youth.
• BUILD.org: National youth-development nonprofit combining mentoring, entrepreneurship, and college/career readiness for under-resourced high school students. Comparable population (marginalized youth), model (mentoring + career exploration), and long-term outcome focus.
• Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG): National school-based dropout prevention and workforce readiness program serving at-risk high school students. Comparable on in-school delivery model, target demographic, and emphasis on career pathway outcomes.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth-mentoring nonprofit pairing at-risk youth with adult mentors — the same core mechanic as Resilient's Upstart Explorations Mentor program. Most comparable on the mentoring/delivery model, though operates at vastly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Nationwide youth-development organization offering mentoring, academic support, and career exploration. Overlaps with Resilient's mentoring and career-readiness components but serves a broader youth-development mission and operates at vastly larger scale.

Regional players

• Chicago CRED: Chicago-focused violence prevention and youth opportunity organization serving at-risk young men in high-violence neighborhoods. Comparable mission focus on youth violence prevention and life-paths-out-of-poverty in the broader Chicago metro region.
• National Able Network: Workforce-development nonprofit operating in the Chicago metro area providing job-readiness, placement, and career pathways for at-risk job seekers. Comparable on geographic footprint (Chicagoland) and target demographic of individuals seeking economic mobility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/resilientstrong

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 Resilient