What Ready Set Aspire does

Ready Set ASPIRE (legal entity: ASPIRE Relationship Education dba Ready Set ASPIRE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, that provides holistic relationship education to youth ages 12 and older, parents, and community members in the Greater Lansing area. Founded in 2015 as a standalone entity stemming from a prevention program established under Pregnancy Services of Greater Lansing in 1992, the organization delivers medically accurate, evidence-based curricula built on a primary prevention health model combined with social-emotional learning techniques. Its core offering is the SMART (Sexually Mature Aware Responsible Teens) program suite, which includes the main SMART curriculum, the Shrinking The Elephant parent information session, the Seeking His Best faith-based curriculum, the CSAPA childhood sexual abuse prevention module, and SMART Events. Complementary products include the Ready, Set, ASPIRE! Online Academy (a self-paced digital learning platform) and the Parent Toolkit (a research-informed resource for families).

The organization operates a community-led go-to-market model, distributing programs through partnerships with public and private schools, churches, community organizations, and youth groups. Revenue is generated through donations and sponsorships (including support from the Joe D. Pentecost Foundation), with specific program pricing not publicly disclosed. Ready Set ASPIRE collaborates with The Core Project (SEL curriculum), Search Institute (Developmental Relationships Framework), MSU College of Social Work (intern pipeline), My Brother's and Sister's Keeper of Metro Lansing (youth internship), and Blue Owl Coffee (community art installations). Leadership includes Executive Director Lhauren Singleton (certified sexual risk avoidance specialist and leadership coach) and a volunteer board of directors. The organization employs 1-10 staff, serving a regional Michigan market with no disclosed public financial information.

Name

Ready Set Aspire

Legal name

ASPIRE Relationship Education dba Ready Set ASPIRE

Website

https://www.readysetaspire.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ready Set ASPIRE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Lansing, Michigan delivering holistic relationship education to youth ages 12+ through the SMART program suite, online academy, and parent toolkit across Greater Lansing schools and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Relationship Education

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling) (EDAJAKAE)

Keywords

• Youth relationship education
• Sexual risk avoidance
• Social emotional learning
• Character education programs
• Community youth development

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Ready Set ASPIRE relies on charitable donations and sponsorships from individuals, organizations, and foundations to fund programs and operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ready Set ASPIRE delivers holistic relationship education programs for youth ages 12 and up, combining a primary prevention health model with social-emotional learning techniques. Its core offerings include the SMART (Sexually Mature Aware Responsible Teens) curriculum, faith-based Seeking His Best curriculum, Childhood Sexual Abuse Prevention and Awareness (CSAPA), SMART Events, the Ready, Set, ASPIRE! Online Academy, the Parent Toolkit resource, and a Summer Youth Internship. Programs are delivered in schools, community organizations, churches, and youth groups throughout Greater Lansing, Michigan.

Product overview

Ready Set ASPIRE operates as a holistic relationship education nonprofit offering a portfolio of educational programs and resources. The core offerings include the SMART (Sexually Mature Aware Responsible Teens) program suite—comprising the main SMART curriculum, Shrinking The Elephant parent sessions, Seeking His Best faith-based curriculum, CSAPA childhood abuse prevention, and SMART Events—alongside the Ready, Set, ASPIRE! Online Academy providing digital courses, and the Parent Toolkit resource for families. The organization also runs a Youth Internship program for community engagement. These programs are delivered in schools, community organizations, churches, and online, utilizing a primary prevention health model and social-emotional learning techniques to educate, equip, and empower individuals ages 12 and up.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMART (Sexually Mature Aware Responsible Teens): A sexual risk avoidance program delivering medically accurate, evidence-based messages to youth in public and private schools, community organizations, churches, and youth groups.
• Shrinking The Elephant
• CSAPA (Childhood Sexual Abuse Prevention and Awareness)
• Seeking His Best
• SMART Events
• Ready, Set, ASPIRE!
• Parent Toolkit

Products and services

• SMART (Sexually Mature Aware Responsible Teens)

Quantifiable outcome

• Programs demonstrate increased knowledge, skill confidence, and overall appreciation among participants
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and historical.

• My Brother's and Sister's Keeper of Metro LansingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration with My Brother's and Sister's Keeper of Metro Lansing to offer the Ready Set ASPIRE Summer 2026 Youth Internship program. Internship provides hands-on experience in social impact, leadership, communications, research, and creative community engagement for students interested in making meaningful impact in their communities.
• Michigan State University College of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with MSU College of Social Work hosting MSW interns. The 2025/2026 MSU BSW Intern Emma Bruckman developed the Parent Toolkit as her capstone project.
• Blue Owl CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt Wall Collaboration partnership where Ready Set ASPIRE curates art installations at Blue Owl Coffee locations in Greater Lansing (ReoTown and other shops). installations feature local artists and young artists (ages 18 and under) to inspire hope and empower the next generation.
• The Core ProjectcoreTechnology or IntegrationCurriculum partner providing social-emotional learning curriculum and activities integrated into Ready Set ASPIRE programs to support holistic relationship education.
• Pregnancy Services of Greater LansinghistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founding relationship - Ready Set ASPIRE began as the prevention program through Pregnancy Services of Greater Lansing in 1992, establishing the roots of the SMART program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Choosing the Best: Choosing the Best provides abstinence-focused relationship education curricula delivered in schools and youth groups — the closest direct analog to Ready Set ASPIRE's SMART and Seeking His Best programs.
• Heritage Keepers: Heritage Keepers Abstinence Education offers abstinence-centered curricula for schools and youth organizations, directly overlapping with Ready Set ASPIRE's school-based sexual risk avoidance model.
• Pure Freedom: Pure Freedom delivers sexual risk avoidance and healthy relationship education in schools and community settings, mirroring Ready Set ASPIRE's flagship SMART programming for middle and high school youth.
• WAIT Training: WAIT Training provides sexual risk avoidance curricula and facilitator training for schools and community organizations, comparable in mission and school-channel delivery to Ready Set ASPIRE.

Broad incumbents

• Power to Decide: Power to Decide (formerly The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy) is a national nonprofit working on adolescent sexual health and relationships — a broader, federally-networked incumbent operating in the same youth relationship/sexual health space.
• Healthy Teen Network: Healthy Teen Network is a national membership organization advancing adolescent sexual and reproductive health, overlapping with Ready Set ASPIRE's focus on teen relationship education and risk avoidance.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Big Brothers Big Sisters is a large national youth mentoring nonprofit addressing social-emotional development and healthy relationships — a broader incumbent whose youth-mentoring and SEL focus partially overlaps with Ready Set ASPIRE's mission.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs of America delivers youth development programming including relationship and life skills education across a national footprint — a broad incumbent whose youth programming overlaps with Ready Set ASPIRE's community-based delivery.

Emerging players

• AMAZE: AMAZE produces digital, age-appropriate sex education videos and resources for teens and educators — a digitally-native peer that competes for the same teen relationship education attention, particularly through schools.
• Answer (Rutgers University): Answer, a Rutgers-based initiative, provides sex education curricula and training for educators serving adolescents — comparable to Ready Set ASPIRE's school-based educator delivery model, with academic backing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/readysetaspire
• Instagraminstagram.com/readysetaspireed
• Facebookfacebook.com/readysetaspire

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ready Set Aspire