Budo Accelerator

At Budo Accelerator, we transform lives through the power of martial arts. We provide a unique approach to youth development, integrating martial arts training with leadership development, academic support, career readiness, and mentorship.

Our program, designed by experts in education, psychology, and martial arts, focuses on first-generation and low-income high school and college students who must often overcome social, academic, and administrative barriers in their academic, vocational, and personal lives.

Our mission is to foster independence and resilience while equipping today’s youth with essential life, leadership, and career skills to become independent and productive members of society.

As we were founded at the end of 2019, our first pilot program was scheduled to begin just as the pandemic hit. We quickly adapted our programs to an online format, which led to an unexpected transition from in-person engagement. This shift helped us develop digital infrastructure, enhancing our ability to deliver programs remotely and improving our long-term operational scalability. Our student base grew from 40 in 2021 to 260 post-pandemic, demonstrating the success of our programmatic approach.

In 2021 we partnered with UC Irvine to offer our program for academic credit to their First-gen undergraduate students, and in 2022 we partnered with Simon Scholars and the Irvine Public Schools Foundation.

In 2023 we were able to partner with Project Hope Alliance to bring our program to their at-risk and homeless youth. Also in 2023, through UCI’s Division of Continuing Ed, we are now able to offer UC academic credit to all high school and college students for participating in our programs (transferable to most UC, CSU, and community colleges).

We currently serve over 250 high school and college students annually. We run programs in Orange County, CA and in late 2023 successfully began our first geographic expansion into San Mateo County, CA, where we partner with The Boys and Girls Club, Aikido West, and Peninsula Self Defense.

In 2024, we continued to expand and strengthen our reach across California. We launched our first middle school pilot program in partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation’s TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim, adapting our curriculum to support students ages 9–13 with age-appropriate martial arts training, leadership development, and early career exploration.

Heading into 2025, we are scaling both our high school and middle school programs, with a focus on regional growth and long-term sustainability. We are preparing to launch new sites in underserved communities across California, while refining our digital infrastructure, training systems, and evaluation tools to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery. Our goal is to serve over 300 students in 2025, expand partnerships with schools and nonprofits, and strengthen pathways for youth leadership, mental wellness, and economic mobility.

Some key differentiators of our program include:

Our martial arts-based program offers controlled experiences of human interaction under stress, teaching students to take responsibility to protect others and learn the tools necessary to navigate uncomfortable situations.

Students learn to identify and manage anxiety, stress, and depression, and practice these skills in high-pressure interactions that encompass their physical, intellectual, and emotional selves.

Students are embraced by community and intergenerational mentorship which spans a variety of professional backgrounds and demographics. Students learn to be both a mentee and a mentor. This dynamic produces self-confidence along with access to unique opportunities.

Students begin without prior leadership experience. They learn to exercise power responsibly, with compassion, as autonomous and independent young adults.

For emotional regulation, students learn the impact of breathwork on their brains and bodies.

Physical touch is a foundational element of our program. According to the National Institutes of Health, physical touch is a major factor in reducing anxiety and depression. Our program incorporates this through trust-based physical contact, allowing students to develop meaningful connections with peers while learning skills.

As a digital detox opportunity, it fosters meaningful in-person connection and reduces use of social media and online communication to improve their overall socio-emotional well-being.

Our Program Impact:

- Graduation rate: 95% of our first-gen college students complete their degree vs. the national average of 45%.
- 90% of students leave with good or great career knowledge.
- 80% of our high school students see improvements in communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills.
- 100% of our college students connect with professional mentors.
- Preliminary results of a study run by UCI’s Stress Health and Emotion Lab shows our students experience a decrease in loneliness and depression and an increase in self-efficacy and mastery.

“This program has taught me more about leadership than I’ve ever learned in my life, including inclusivity, communication, teamwork, adaptability, and perseverance.”
–Vanessa L.

Our programs provide students with the essential career and leadership skills desired in today’s modern workforce. Using martial arts provides a unique and powerful foundation for building self-esteem, confidence, and resilience alongside physical health. Students develop awareness of their mental health and are given the know-how and training to strengthen it. Our students also build social capital in the martial arts community - a diverse network that gives students access to multi-generational mentorship and exposure to new ideas, cultures, and opportunities. According to Opportunity Insights, the largest predictor of economic mobility is the creation of friendships across socio-economic classes, which our programs facilitate in a unique and powerful way.

Our top needs are:

Program Funding: $209,262
General operating funds: $225,000
Program Partners and Expansion Sites

Our future funding needs focus on expanding Budo Accelerator's reach and deepening our impact in underserved communities. Key areas include:

Program Expansion: Funding to scale our programs to additional metro areas, including New York, Chicago, and San Diego.

Staffing: Hiring additional instructors, mentors, and support staff to meet growing demand.

Student Scholarships: Providing financial assistance to increase accessibility for more first-generation and low-income students.

Facility Upgrades: Enhancing and maintaining our training spaces to create safe, welcoming environments for our students.

Technology and Curriculum Development: Supporting the continued development of online resources and expert-designed curricula.

Orange County, CA

We’re doing something a little different in the realm of youth development and education, but it's working. We’re boosting mental health, increasing social mobility, and building strong leaders. Our students love our programs and we’ve been able to partner with leading educational institutions and other nonprofits serving underprivileged youth in Orange County.

We want to drive innovation in education by using the martial arts as a new platform for developing essential skills and mental health. And we’re serious about creating social impact at scale. We have the vision, the team, programs and results to bring our program to students across the nation. We hope you’ll consider joining us!

As the former CEO of The Nature Conservancy (the world's largest environmental nonprofit), I have a great deal of experience in the nonprofit world and have seen many nonprofits. Wit that perspective, I'm incredibly enthusiastic about Budo Accelerator's mission and have complete confidence in the team's ability to make a real impact in the lives of many young people. I'm fully committed to supporting Budo Accelerator's growth and hope you'll join me as a supporter and partner of this very special organization.