E101: Turning Personal Tragedy into Teen Mental Health Advocacy with Elliot Kallen

15/07/2025 38 min Episodio 101
E101: Turning Personal Tragedy into Teen Mental Health Advocacy with Elliot Kallen

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Episode Synopsis

I’m honored to welcome Elliot Kallen to the Lead with Heart Podcast. Elliot is the president and co-founder of A Brighter Day, a nonprofit organization that has turned the devastating loss of his teenage son into a powerful mission to prevent teen suicide and offer hope to thousands of families.In this deeply moving and empowering conversation, Elliot shares how his nonprofit is supporting 3,000–6,000 families each month with free mental health toolkits, a 24/7 teen crisis text line, and Zoom counseling sessions. We explore how emotional intelligence, real communication, and parent-teen connection can create protective factors against the alarming rise in teen suicide.In this episode:[02:47] The loss that sparked a movement[05:34] Early warning signs of teen depression and suicidal thoughts[08:07] How social media affects teen self-worth[11:04] The hidden epidemic of cyberbullying[14:53] Practical strategies for emotionally connecting with teens[17:57] Programs at A Brighter Day - from text lines to Zoom therapy[21:14] The power of nonprofit partnerships[22:55] Destigmatizing suicide and mental health struggles[28:33] Elliot’s vision for reaching 37 million high schoolers[33:51] Leadership lessons from scaling a grief-born missionRESOURCESTeen Crisis Text Line: Text “BRIGHTER” to 741741CONNECT WITH ELLIOTLinkedIn: Elliot KallenInstagram: @abrighterdaycharityWebsite: https://abrighterday.info/ Email: [email protected] Phone: 510 206 1103Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact. Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.orgCONNECT WITH HALEYHaley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFREWebsite: thesavvyfundraiser.comYouTube: thesavvyfundraiserProduced by Ideablossoms

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