As students head back to school, New Profit’s Stories from Youth Mental Health Leaders series highlights how social entrepreneurs are creating the supports young people need to thrive.

From trust-building relationships to culturally rooted programs to cross-sector systems that prevent students from slipping through the cracks, these leaders show what it takes to move beyond awareness toward lasting change.

• Part 1 shares how Kara James of The F.I.N.D. Design and Ashanti Branch of Ever Forward Club build trust early and speak the language of youth.
  
  
• Part 2 highlights Rob Jackson of Beats Rhymes and Life and Camesha Jones-Brandon of Sista Afya Community Care, whose music, art, and community-based models meet young people where they are.
  
  
• Part 3 features Reem Aly of the Ohio School-Based Health Alliance and Seth Saeugling of the Rural Opportunity Institute, who are building coordinated systems so students stay connected to care.

Taken together, these stories offer a powerful back-to-school reminder: youth mental health is shaped not just in clinics, but in classrooms, communities, and everyday relationships. We invite you to read the full series and our full landscape analysis, Beyond the Headlines: A Deep Dive into Trends and Opportunities in Youth Mental Health.

COHORT SPOTLIGHT

Explore how 16 social entrepreneurs are drawing power from connection and community to advance economic access and opportunity, and what philanthropy must do to sustain them.

NEW PROFIT NEWS

This summer, New Profit CEO, Tulaine Montgomery joined Don Peebles Jr. and Nasir Qadree at the BLCK VC DMV convening, sparking new collaborations, including a three-city conference series with Zeal Capital and BLCK VC.

At NationSwell’s D.C. Signature Dinner, she engaged senior leaders on nurturing talent pipelines, employer-educator collaboration, and skills for a changing workforce. In Martha’s Vineyard, she spoke at TEDxBoston, Mosaic on the Vineyard, and impact dinners, co-hosting a reception with BrightUp, Echoing Green, and Skoll Foundation.

Across these gatherings, Tulaine advanced bold conversations, deepened relationships, and unlocked new opportunities for ecosystem-building and collaboration.

Follow us on social media for timely updates and share future funding opportunities with your networks: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky

PORTFOLIO NEWS

• Check out ​​Braven Founder & CEO Aimée Eubanks Davis’ newest Forbes article, Are Recent Grads Getting Hired? How Two Launched Strong Careers.
  
  

• Braven’s annual Summit takes place September 19 in San Jose, bringing together 300+ cross-sector professionals to advance the next generation of leaders. Join powerful conversations on higher ed, AI, and data-driven change — plus networking opportunities. Learn more.
  
  
• A recent article in Psychology Today, “Community Is Medicine That Heals,“ discusses how Open Source Wellness' Community As MedicineⓇ (CAM) model supports participants in overcoming loneliness and its manifestations: depression, anxiety, and associated conditions like diabetes. It describes how CAM fills a glaring and growing gap in our society: the need for social connectedness. 
  
  
• In August, Open Source Wellness launched its first San Francisco partnership with North East Medical Services (NEMS), a nonprofit clinic serving primarily uninsured and low-income patients. This marked the first delivery of the Community As MedicineⓇ program in Cantonese.
  
  
• America on Tech (AOT) celebrated its Atlanta Launch and Intro to AI program on July 10 with panels, student stories, and networking, including a Future of Work in Technology in Atlanta panel moderated by Latricia Shepard, the Chief Talent & Diversity Officer at Spencer Fane. 
  
  
• Inclusive Action for the City recently celebrated its 15-year anniversary! Watch this video outlining their vision for creating an inclusive economy in Los Angeles.
  
  
• The Recidivism Reduction Educational Program & Services (RREPS) unveiled its second Mobile Recidivism Reduction Center, advancing reentry services across North Carolina. In just 70 days, RREPS has reached over 3,000 individuals in three cities, underscoring the urgent need and impact of delivering vital resources directly to communities.
  
  
• The School for Democratic Management at Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) has launched a free, bilingual online platform offering practical courses and tools to strengthen democratic practices in worker-owned businesses and cooperative workplaces. 
  
  
• The Knowledge House is hosting Tech Empowerment Day at Inspiredu’s 2025 Digital Summit in Atlanta, GA, on September 25–26, 2025. This free, two-day event for Digital Learner track participants features hands-on workshops in cybersecurity and AI, networking with industry professionals, and an in-person info session for the 2026 Innovation Fellowship. 
  
  
• The Ohio School-Based Health Alliance released their first-ever school-based health center (SBHC) statewide impact publications. You can find the impact report and video here. 
  
  
• Zearn Math earned a “Strong” (Tier 1) rating — the highest designation — from Evidence for ESSA at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Research and Reform in Education.
  
  
• The Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN) and Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC) are creating a Public Service Announcement directed by Rahsaan Thomas, highlighting the power of person-first language for people impacted by the criminal legal system. Join the effort by signing FICGN’s pledge to reject dehumanizing words.
  
  
• Black Teacher Collaborative held a two-day board retreat in Atlanta, fostering connection, strategic clarity, and purpose-driven leadership. Highlights included a keynote by Eshé Collins of the Southern Education Fund and plans for continued collaboration through deep dives, team-building, and expanded board resources. 
  
  
• Our friends at The Learning Accelerator and the Aurora Institute have officially united to form FullScale! They’re bringing together education leaders and organizations to drive collective learning, action, and systems transformation. We’re excited to see what’s next for them and are excited to be a partner on their journey ahead. We hope you’ll join them for the first FullScale Symposium (formerly the Aurora Institute Symposium) in New Orleans this October.
  
  
• In a Center for Effective Philanthropy op-ed, William Jackson (Founder, Village of Wisdom) warns that AI could mirror the harm highways caused Black communities. To build equitable futures, we must center Black voices, protect data rights, and ensure community benefit.
  
  
• From August 8–10, Interfaith America (IA) hosted the largest national interfaith gathering of 2025—the Interfaith Leadership Summit. More than 700 participants from 150+ institutions joined for a weekend of connection and collaboration, nearly doubling attendance in just two years and underscoring the growing national commitment to pluralism.

 SAY MORE SPOTLIGHT

Ellen McGirt is the  editor-in-chief of Design Observer, a media platform about design and culture. In this episode, Ellen tells us how being truly curious about our differences can help us come together as a nation.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Propel America has an opening for a part-time Case Manager who is detail-oriented, technology savvy, and customer focused, to provide Philadelphia-based support to their WIOA/SNAP grants. 
• i.c.stars, a 25-year-old nonprofit workforce development organization, is seeking an Executive Director (Chicago) and a Director of Program Operations (National).