Youth Empowerment

Name

Youth Empowerment

Legal name

Youth Empowerments Finest

Website

https://youthempowermentsd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development & Community Mentorship Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools) (EDAJAEAI), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Youth mentorship services
• Reentry support programs
• Trauma-informed training
• Credible messenger mentoring
• Restorative justice practices

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations & Fundraising: Individual donors contribute to specific programs (After-School Program, Reentry Programs, Basic Needs Support, Enrichment Activities, Youth Future Planning, Sports Sponsorship, Mission Support) through the organization's donation portal. Youth Empowerment was recognized by San Diego Foundation as a Top 25 Non-profit to donate to.
2. Government Contracts & Grants: Government contracts serve mentees on Juvenile Probation (including Gang Supervision, Youthful Offender Supervision) referred through the Probation Department's Community Resource Directory. Special funding received for adult Post-Release Community Supervision programs. Programs are funded by fundraising, contracts, and grants.
3. Annual Events (H.E.A.L. Gala): Premier annual fundraising gala (Honoring Empowerment, Advocacy, and Leadership) raising funds for youth and families impacted by incarceration, poverty, and trauma. Fundraising goal of $75,000-$100,000 for HEAL 2025. Ticket sales and sponsorships drive revenue.
4. Apparel Sales (Break the Cycle): Youth-designed t-shirts created through a youth-led competition, sold through partnership with Cherry Willow Apparel. Every purchase supports programs for justice-impacted youth and young adults in City Heights.
5. Book Sales & Book Initiative: Sale of 'The Resilience Blueprint' by Arthur Soriano, co-founder and CEO. Book Initiative aims to provide 1,000+ incarcerated individuals with copies of the book. Purchasers receive a signed copy while another is donated to the incarcerated community.
6. Fee-for-Service Training Programs: Organizational Transformation Program offers eight unique group training modules for institutions seeking trauma-informed professional development. Trainings are delivered by lived-experience Credible Messengers as subject matter experts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Youth Empowerment is a San Diego-based nonprofit that delivers community-based youth and adult mentorship, reentry support, and family programs facilitated by Credible Messengers — individuals with lived experience of incarceration, gang involvement, and trauma. It also operates the Organizational Transformation Program (OTP), a fee-for-service trauma-informed professional development curriculum for institutions serving justice-impacted populations.

Product overview

Youth Empowerment offers a portfolio of community-based programs focused on mentorship, reentry support, and youth development. The core programs include the Youth Mentorship Program (serving 300 youth ages 13-24 annually), School Programs (in-school and after-school mentoring), Reentry Programs (youth and adult), and the Parents on a Mission Program. The Organizational Transformation Program (OTP) provides eight fee-for-service trauma-informed training modules for external organizations. Supporting offerings include The Resilience Blueprint book, Born to Break Cycles apparel, and the annual H.E.A.L. Gala fundraising event. All programs are facilitated by Credible Messengers with lived experience using evidence-based curriculums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Mentorship Program: A mentorship program facilitated by Credible Messengers serving youth aged 13 to 24, including those on Juvenile Probation. Serves close to 300 young people yearly.
• Organizational Transformation Program
• Parents on a Mission
• H.E.A.L. Gala
• The Resilience Blueprint
• Born to Break Cycles

Products and services

• Youth Mentorship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves nearly 300 youth (ages 13-24) per year through mentorship programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cherry Willow ApparelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal apparel company partnership to produce and sell youth-designed Break the Cycle t-shirts. Cherry Willow Apparel is dedicated to purpose-driven fashion and ethically produces the youth-created designs. The collaboration bridges creativity and social impact, giving youth the opportunity to see their ideas transformed into professional wearable statements of empowerment.
• San Diego County Probation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner referring mentees on Juvenile Probation, Gang Supervision, and Youthful Offender Supervision through the Community Resource Directory. Also collaborates on adult Post-Release Community Supervision programs.
• San Diego Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing in-school and after-school mentoring services. Youth Empowerment offers group and one-on-one mentorship during school hours and additional enrichment activities after school, supporting students' academic, social, and emotional development.
• San Diego State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnership supporting the organization's mission through potential academic collaborations and workforce development initiatives.
• San Diego County District Attorney's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustice system partner providing training collaboration and gang prevention expertise. Staff have received training from the DA's office on gang intervention and prevention.
• San Diego County Office of Public DefenderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustice system partner collaborating on reentry and mentorship initiatives for justice-impacted individuals and families.
• United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal justice partner collaborating on community-based strategies and public safety initiatives.
• Live Well SDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional health and wellness initiative partnership supporting community health programs and resources.
• Project A.W.A.R.E.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Reginald Washington, Vice President of Youth Empowerment, Project A.W.A.R.E. equips young people with emotional literacy skills. Synergistic partnership under shared leadership.
• Community Connections for YouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner focused on youth mentorship and reentry support, aligning with Youth Empowerment's Credible Messenger approach.
• SAY San DiegominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit partner supporting youth and family services in San Diego, collaborating on community-based initiatives.
• National Parents UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArthur Soriano serves on the board of directors, providing national advocacy platform for parents and families affected by the justice system.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Root & Rebound: California-based nonprofit providing legal advocacy, reentry support, and policy reform for people with conviction histories, comparable in serving justice-impacted populations across California.

Direct peers

• Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC): California-based nonprofit supporting formerly incarcerated people through leadership development, mentorship, and advocacy, comparable in serving justice-impacted youth and adults with lived-experience-led programming.
• Roca, Inc. Massachusetts-based nonprofit delivering high-intensity mentoring and behavioral intervention for highest-risk young men impacted by incarceration and violence, comparable in targeting justice-involved youth with evidence-based curriculum.
• The Fortune Society: New York-based nonprofit providing reentry, housing, education, and mentorship services to formerly incarcerated individuals, comparable in operating comprehensive wraparound programming for justice-impacted populations.
• Homeboy Industries: Los Angeles-based nonprofit offering wraparound reentry, mentorship, and workforce services for formerly incarcerated and gang-involved individuals, directly comparable to Youth Empowerment's Credible Messenger-driven, lived-experience-led model.
• Defy Ventures: National nonprofit offering entrepreneurship, mentorship, and career-readiness programs for people with criminal histories, comparable in combining lived-experience mentoring with workforce development for formerly incarcerated individuals.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing immediate employment, retention, and advancement services for people returning home from incarceration, comparable in serving justice-impacted adults with wraparound reentry programming.

Broad incumbents

• Communities in Schools: National nonprofit integrating student supports inside K-12 schools to address barriers to learning, comparable as an incumbent school-based youth services provider with similar school-district contract motion.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Large national youth mentoring nonprofit operating evidence-based one-on-one and group mentoring programs at scale, comparable as a broad incumbent in the youth mentorship category Youth Empowerment competes within for funding and partnerships.

Others

• National Parents Union: National parent advocacy organization where Youth Empowerment's founder serves on the board, comparable as an adjacent advocacy and parent-empowerment ecosystem partner rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Youth_Empower10
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForYouthEmpowerment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthempowermentsd

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 Youth Empowerment