Team Kids Inc

MANAGEMENT

CEO/Executive Director

Julie Hudash

CEO/Executive Director Experience

Julie Hudash has a passion for empowering children to become catalysts for positive change, and her mission can be traced back to her pre-professional days growing up in Irvine. She is the visionary Founder and CEO of Team Kids, a non-profit organization established in 2001, which has been woven into Irvine’s social, cultural, and educational tapestry for over two decades. A devoted social entrepreneur, Julie’s innovative vision has given rise to a transformative organization that profoundly impacts the lives of young people across diverse communities, ranging from Irvine and Compton to Tempe and Harlem. Setting itself apart from for-profit enterprises and guided by Julie’s vision, Team Kids measures success not in earning profit, but in lives changed and communities strengthened. During her college career at USC, where she also excelled as an athlete, Julie volunteered in schools in South Central Los Angeles. Struck by the academic disparities and the lack of exposure to leadership opportunities, she became determined to inspire children to see themselves as leaders capable of making meaningful contributions to their communities and the world when they feel safe, valued, significant, and connected to their communities. Drawing from her experiences and expertise in the corporate sector, Julie pursued her dream of making a tangible difference and empowering the next generation of youth leaders, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists after witnessing the power of young people’s empathy and determination to raise funds for a local boy’s life-saving operation. She spearheaded the creation of the flagship Team Kids Challenge (TKC), a comprehensive five-week, school-wide intervention program that actively engages teachers, public safety mentors, and community stakeholders. As a testament to its effectiveness, the TKC is now empirically validated with peer-reviewed research published in the American Psychological Association Journal of Psychology, Public Policy, along with three other top academic publications. Julie inspires everyone she meets and specializes in driving systemic community change for and with youth through innovative partnerships with business, government, education, and public service organizations. Her lifelong dedication is evident through her achievement of transforming Team Kids’ early groundbreaking work into a national model for youth empowerment, as reflected in widespread school participation from California to Arizona to New York. Julie is also a writer who tackles complex issues on behalf of children and has had several pieces published in The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register. Her focus is on youth advocacy issues, including youth development, child safety, and the importance of youth-led activities to help kids thrive. She continues to evolve and partner with several organizations to extend the reach and impact of Team Kids, which has always included social and emotional learning. With the mental health crisis affecting children, its mission and Julie's lifelong work are more relevant today than ever. Julie currently lives in Irvine with her husband and has five grown children and three grandchildren. Julie’s commitment and passion to protect and empower youth has resulted in her receiving several public agency and private foundation awards.

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