Lost Boyz Inc.

What Lost Boyz Inc. does

Lost Boyz Inc. is a Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 2008 by LaVont'e Stewart Sr. that delivers sports-based youth development to children and young adults in the city's under-resourced South Shore, Pilsen, and Humboldt Park neighborhoods. Its core offerings are the MVP Youth Baseball & Softball program for ages 4-14, delivered across three seasonal phases (Fall Ball, Winter Clinic, Spring Training/League Play) that combine organized baseball and fast-pitch softball with academic tutoring, civic engagement, and character development; and the Successful Youth Leaders (SYL) program for ages 16-24, which provides paid professional work experience. The Lost Girlz sub-brand, launched in 2014, extends services to female participants via teams such as Lady Thunder. Each MVP participant receives roughly 18 hours of tutoring and 58 hours of sports training per season, with programs running 4-6 times per week after school and on Saturdays.

The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform. It uses third-party tools including TeamSnap for program registration and WizIQ for virtual tutoring, with no disclosed proprietary features, patents, APIs, or AI/ML components. Operations are supported by a lean staff of fewer than 10 employees, augmented by volunteer coaches, mentors, and tutors recruited through community outreach.

Lost Boyz funds operations through individual donations (single and monthly, starting at $25 USD), grants from multiple foundations (After School Matters, Laureus Sport for Good, Springboard, Prince Charitable Trusts, Games 4 Good), and partnership-funded events such as the Athletes For CARE charity golf tournament. Customer segments are youth ages 4-14 (primary) and 16-24, with vertical segmentation by age cohort and gender. Distribution is entirely community-based through direct delivery, school partnerships, and volunteer networks within three Chicago neighborhoods; the organization does not serve any geography outside Chicago. Reported outcomes include 88-94.7% of surveyed parents stating the program helped prevent their child from becoming a violence victim, an average 0.2 grade-point increase among Winter Clinic participants, and up to 193 hours of programming per participant in the Spring/Summer MVP cycle.

Name

Lost Boyz Inc.

Legal name

Lost Boyz Inc.

Website

https://lostboyzinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lost Boyz Inc. is a Chicago-based nonprofit that delivers sports-based youth development, mentorship, and academic support to at-risk children and young adults in the city's South Shore, Pilsen, and Humboldt Park neighborhoods through baseball, softball, and paid leadership programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Services (611)

akta.pro primary industry

Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools) (EDAJAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Youth Athlete Development & Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) (HSADAEAE), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Sports-based mentorship
• Community nonprofit services
• Youth violence prevention
• Academic tutoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Lost Boyz generates revenue primarily through individual donations starting from $25 USD, offered as single or monthly donation options. Donors can select from preset amounts ($10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500) or provide custom amounts.
2. Grants: The organization receives grant funding from foundations including After School Matters, Springboard Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, and Games 4 Good Foundation to expand community impact and operating capacity.
3. Successful Youth Leaders (SYL) Wages: The SYL program provides financial compensation to youth participants aged 16-24 while they perform professional duties. 33 young adults earned over $40,000 in wages through the program, representing a form of stipend/wage payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lost Boyz Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing sports-based youth development programs that combine organized baseball and fastpitch softball with academic tutoring, mentoring, social-emotional learning, civic engagement, and cultural enrichment for at-risk youth in Chicago's under-resourced neighborhoods. Its flagship offerings are the MVP Youth Baseball & Softball program (ages 4-14) and the Successful Youth Leaders (SYL) workforce-readiness program (ages 16-24), with the Lost Girlz sub-brand serving adolescent girls.

Product overview

Lost Boyz Inc. is a non-profit sports-based youth development organization offering two primary program tracks: MVP Youth Baseball & Softball (for boys and girls ages 4-14) and Successful Youth Leaders (SYL, for young adults ages 16-24). The MVP program is delivered in three seasonal phases: Winter Clinic (January-March), Fall Ball, and Spring Training/League Play, each combining organized sports with academic tutoring and mentoring. The SYL program provides older youth with paid professional experience and leadership development. Additionally, the Lost Girlz initiative (launched 2014) extends services to include girls' fast pitch softball through teams like Lady Thunder.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MVP Youth Baseball & Softball A comprehensive sports-based youth development program for boys and girls ages 4-14, divided into three seasonal components: Fall Ball, Winter Clinic, and Spring Training/League Play. Combines team sports participation with tutoring, civic engagement, and character development; each participant receives 18 hours of tutoring and 58 hours of softball/baseball education, physical training, and skills development.
• MVP Winter Clinic The first phase of the MVP Youth Baseball & Softball program, typically held January through March. Youth attend after-school study sessions with tutors, followed by indoor practices including skills training, physical conditioning, and instruction on baseball history, rules and strategy.
• MVP Fall Ball Fall season program where youth attend after-school study sessions with tutors, followed by structured practice including indoor skills training, physical conditioning, and instruction on baseball rules and strategy.
• Spring Training/League Play Outdoor practices and competitive league play portion of the MVP program, delivered 4-6 times per week on weekdays after school and Saturdays, with youth spending up to 200 total hours on programming.
• Successful Youth Leaders (SYL) Program for young adults ages 16-24 focused on cultivating community leaders by enhancing developmental assets. Participants receive professional instruction, supervision, and financial compensation while performing duties related to the organization; 33 young adults earned over $40,000 in wages through the program.
• Lost Girlz Girls' sports program extension launched in 2014, providing mentorship through organized fast pitch softball for young ladies in Chicago's under-resourced neighborhoods; recognized by the Girls Opportunity Alliance at the Obama Foundation.
• Lady Thunder The organization's girls' softball team, part of the Lost Girlz program providing organized fast pitch softball for female participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of parents surveyed agreed that Lost Boyz helped prevent their child from becoming a victim of youth violence
• +3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Girls Opportunity Alliance (Obama Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Lost Girlz program was recognized by and joined the Girls Opportunity Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation. The partnership provides funding and organizational support to empower adolescent girls through the Lost Girlz program.
• Athletes For CARE (A4C)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2020Athletes For CARE organized a charity golf tournament on September 22, 2020 at Bolingbrook Golf Club to generate much-needed assistance for Lost Boyz's winter sports program. The event brought together former NFL players, former Notre Dame Football players, participants, and sponsors.
• Up2Us SportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide tailored training to Lost Boyz coaches and staff, strengthening program delivery quality.
• Chicago White SoxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chicago White Sox contributed thousands of dollars in equipment and hosted a family's visit to a game suite in response to a teen's donation to Lost Boyz. The White Sox contributed equipment including 60 baseball gloves and 200 baseballs to Lukas's donation to Lost Boyz.
• Negro League Baseball MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLost Boyz planned an excursion to the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City for at least 100 players, coaches, and parents. The organization studied Negro League Baseball through the lens of the Harlem/Negro Renaissance as part of their cultural enrichment programming.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Girls Inc. National nonprofit empowering girls through sports, education, and mentorship programs. Closely comparable to Lost Boyz's Lost Girlz sub-brand and its Girls Opportunity Alliance / Obama Foundation ecosystem.
• Up2Us Sports: National nonprofit that trains and deploys coaches in sports-based youth development programs for underserved communities. Already a partner of Lost Boyz (Up2Us provides coach training), and operates a near-identical programmatic philosophy.
• Police Athletic League (PAL): Sports-based youth development organization serving at-risk youth through athletic leagues, mentoring, and academic support in urban communities. Closely mirrors Lost Boyz's model of using team sports as the engagement vehicle for at-risk youth in specific cities.

Regional players

• After School Matters: Chicago-based nonprofit providing after-school programming including sports, arts, and STEM for Chicago teens. Direct geographic and programmatic overlap with Lost Boyz in Chicago neighborhoods and is also an active Lost Boyz funder.
• Chicago Youth Programs: Chicago nonprofit providing long-term academic, mentoring, and enrichment support to at-risk youth in underserved neighborhoods. Direct geographic peer with overlapping at-risk youth mission, though with less emphasis on competitive sports.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National network of youth development clubs offering sports, academic support, and mentoring to at-risk youth. Highly comparable to Lost Boyz in mission and programming mix, but operates at vastly greater scale and as an established incumbent.
• YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: Major regional YMCA offering youth sports leagues, mentoring, after-school programming, and at-risk youth services across Chicago. Comparable service mix and target population, with substantially larger infrastructure and brand recognition.

Others

• Positive Coaching Alliance: Nonprofit developing positive youth development through sports by training coaches and parents. Operates an adjacent mission to Lost Boyz's character-development component and serves as a methodology peer for sport-based youth work.
• Laureus Sport for Good Foundation: Global foundation funding sport-for-development programs for disadvantaged youth. Directly comparable as an outcomes-aligned funder and ecosystem peer, with many grantees operating models similar to Lost Boyz worldwide.
• KABOOM!: National nonprofit focused on equitable play and youth development, with sport and recreation programming for at-risk youth. Thematically aligned as a youth-development funder/operator, though with a stronger emphasis on play infrastructure than team sports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/lostboyzinc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDgg4Ht8TXxl7zTpXQN1SDw
• Facebookfacebook.com/LostBoyzInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lost-boyz-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Lost Boyz Inc.