What Uplift Youth Foundation does

UPLIFT Youth Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 31878 Del Obispo St., Suite 118-475, San Juan Capistrano, California, that delivers youth mental wellness programming to adolescents across Southern California. The organization was founded by Erica Austin following the death of her brother Joey in 2000 and officially launched programming in summer 2014 in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, alongside co-founder and Program Director Camilla Bruno. Core programming consists of a 6–8 week School + Community Program built on a research-based curriculum covering mindfulness, movement, meditation, journaling, meaningful conversation, and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL); complementary offerings include one-time Wellness Workshops, Wellness Assemblies for ~100 students, Summer Retreats, Partnered Events, Staff Workshops, and the Mindful Leader Training certification, whose inaugural cohort graduated from Applied Technology Center High School in 2024.

The underlying delivery mechanism is human-led rather than technology-led: certified UPLIFT Mentors deliver on-site programming at partner schools and community organizations, with the digital layer (OWN IT Meditation, UPLIFT Teen Yoga Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, YouTube channel, guided meditations collection, journaling resources, and a Self-Love Tool Kit) functioning as top-of-funnel awareness and self-serve support rather than as a core delivery platform. There is no proprietary software, API, or AI/ML infrastructure disclosed. The organization reports reaching 5,100+ youth and delivering 570+ program hours over the past year across 50+ schools and community organizations, with self-reported outcome metrics of 97–100% participant-reported improved mental wellness, 73% of students with consistent or improved GPAs, and 93% of youth with fewer disciplinary incidents.

UPLIFT's business model is a donation-funded nonprofit with three revenue streams: tax-deductible individual and foundation donations (one-time and monthly recurring), student and program sponsorships, and paid corporate/community Wellness Workshops. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the organization explicitly offers financial assistance to ensure access. Governance is provided by an Executive Director (Dr. Jessenia De Leon), a Fundraising Director, an Operations Director, and a board led by Yoshi Rothman, MD as President, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or private equity involvement. The organization is independently operated and has not raised institutional funding rounds.

Name

Uplift Youth Foundation

Legal name

UPLIFT Youth Foundation

Website

https://upliftyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UPLIFT Youth Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering youth mental wellness programs covering mindfulness, movement, meditation, journaling, and SEL to teens across Southern California through 50+ partner schools and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Wellness Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO), Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF)

Keywords

• Youth mental wellness
• Mindfulness education
• Teen yoga programs
• Social emotional learning
• Youth nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Juan Capistrano

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 and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, UPLIFT relies primarily on tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. They offer one-time donations and monthly giving programs to support ongoing operations and program delivery.
2. Program Sponsorship: Donors can sponsor individual students or fund school and community programming, with opportunities to help expand access to wellness experiences for teens across Southern California.
3. Wellness Workshops and Partnered Events: Corporate partners and community organizations can engage UPLIFT for one-time workshops or events, bringing mental wellness programming to their employees or members through guided mindful movement, meditation, journaling, and meaningful conversation.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UPLIFT Youth Foundation delivers research-based mental wellness programs for teens through schools and community organizations across Southern California. Core offerings include 6-8 week School + Community Programs, Wellness Assemblies, Wellness Workshops, and a 15-week Mindful Leader Training certification, complemented by digital resources such as the OWN IT Meditation program, the UPLIFT Teen Yoga Podcast, guided meditations, and journaling toolkits.

Product overview

UPLIFT Youth Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of youth mental wellness programs and digital resources. The core offerings include School + Community Programs (six to eight-week series), Wellness Workshops, Wellness Assemblies, and Mindful Leader Training certification. Digital products include the OWN IT Meditation program, UPLIFT Teen Yoga Podcast (available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify), and a collection of guided meditations and journaling resources. The organization serves teens across Southern California through partnerships with more than 50 schools and community organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OWN IT: A signature meditation program featuring self-compassion, mindfulness, visualization, and gratitude practices for teens.
• UPLIFT Mindful Leader Program
• UPLIFT Teen Yoga Podcast

Products and services

• School + Community Program
• Wellness Workshop

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of participants reported improved mental wellness after participating in programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boys and Girls ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Boys and Girls Club was UPLIFT's first partner, launching their first summer series in 2014. This initial partnership marked the beginning of UPLIFT's journey to create a first-of-its-kind wellness community for teens.
• 50+ Schools and Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPLIFT partners with more than 50 schools and community organizations across Southern California to deliver their signature 6-8 week wellness programs, wellness assemblies, and staff workshops.
• Frances Smith Center at Chapman UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Frances Smith Center offers low-cost counseling services (in person and telehealth) to California residents. UPLIFT refers families to this partner for discounted therapy sessions at $15/session for UPLIFT families.
• Crisis Text LineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 crisis support via text. UPLIFT includes this resource on their Resources page for teens in crisis, connecting vulnerable youth to immediate support.
• LGBTQ Center OCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQ Center OC offers services and resources promoting healing, well-being, and empowerment of LGBTQ youth in Orange County. UPLIFT references this partner in their resources for supporting diverse youth.
• The Trevor ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. UPLIFT includes this resource on their mental health resources page for teens who may be struggling.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mindful Schools: Nonprofit that provides mindfulness and SEL training to K-12 educators and students; directly comparable in mission, audience (K-12 youth), and program format (school-delivered mindfulness curriculum).
• Pure Edge, Inc. Nonprofit providing breath, movement, and mindfulness curriculum for K-12 students and educators; closely comparable in curriculum-based school delivery model targeting youth wellness.
• Inner Explorer: Nonprofit offering daily mindfulness audio practices for PreK-12 classrooms; comparable to UPLIFT in delivering structured mindfulness content through schools to youth audiences.
• Peaceful Schools (Peace Education Foundation): Provides K-12 SEL, conflict resolution, and mindfulness programming in schools; directly comparable mission to UPLIFT's youth wellness and SEL curriculum delivered through partner schools.
• yoga ed. Trains educators and offers yoga-based wellness curricula for K-12 students; comparable in combining yoga/movement with school-delivered mental wellness programming for youth.
• Move This World: Provides K-12 SEL and mental wellness curriculum delivered in schools; directly comparable in targeting student mental health outcomes through school partnerships.

Emerging players

• Born This Way Foundation: Nonprofit focused on teen mental health and peer support; emerging player with partial overlap to UPLIFT's youth mental wellness mission and similar donor/awareness-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• Headspace for Schools (Headspace Health): Headspace distributes guided meditations and SEL content to K-12 districts; broader incumbent offering youth mindfulness at scale with a polished app-based platform.
• Calm Schools (Calm): Calm offers a dedicated K-12 schools program providing free and paid mindfulness content; broader incumbent with vastly greater resources and a digital-first delivery model competing for the same school and teen audience.

Others

• Boys & Girls Club of America (youth programming arm): Existing UPLIFT partner and broader youth-services nonprofit ecosystem player; not a direct competitor but a comparable youth-development nonprofit model and a likely partner/donor for UPLIFT.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/upliftyogafoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/upliftyouth
• Facebookfacebook.com/UPLIFTyogafoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Uplift Youth Foundation