Leadfutures
Strong communities are built, not born.
We pour ourselves into the people who make a community what it is: the youth rising through it and the everyday heroes who hold it together. It starts in San Diego. Join us.
A future rooted in community.
We invest in young people reaching for their first open door, and in the everyday heroes who hold those doors open.
Support the rising, sustain the carrying, and a community grows its own leaders.
Support the vision →
Our programs.
Four doorways into one community, one for each letter of LEAD. Confidence begins the journey; leadership carries it forward.
Thirteen women and counting are earning four year college degrees with the support of LEAD scholarships. We stay with them past graduation with career training, mentorship, and support as they step into the industry.
Fund a scholarship →Confidence begins with access. Brand new shoes on students, paired with mentorship and a campus celebration, so people gain the confidence to believe in themselves and their future.
Turning potential into momentum. Mentors and mentees matched through education, athletics, career exploration, leadership experiences, and community involvement.
Become a mentor or mentee →Skills that last a lifetime. From financial literacy to somatic wellbeing, we give people practical tools to steady themselves, stand on their own, and grow.
Explore the wellbeing work →EVOKicks: Step Into Success
It started as a conversation about confidence. It ended with a whole campus celebrating together.
A new pair of shoes says you matter, and confidence grows from there. EVOKicks pairs them with mentorship and a campus wide celebration, and what began at one San Diego middle school is now growing school by school. Cofounder Cesar Enciso dreams of giving away one million pairs in his lifetime.
The Nervous System Leadership Initiative.
Self regulation and somatic wellbeing for the people who carry our communities, from firefighters and police officers to teachers, students, social workers, and frontline staff. Because confidence, belonging, and leadership have to be physiologically sustainable, not just aspirational.
The initiative is designed and led by Darlene Erich: a healthcare executive with more than twenty years leading critical care teams, a former Chief Nursing Officer, and a trauma informed somatic educator. She has spent a career inside the pressure her students live under, and she builds the training she wishes her own teams had been given.
Helping teachers and school staff stay grounded through the school day, so they leave with energy left over and can pass those same skills to their students.
Teaching students to understand their own nervous system, a leadership skill for staying steady under pressure, in performance, and in conflict.
Supporting social workers and nonprofit staff who absorb other people's hardest days, with tools to recover, recharge, and keep helping for the long haul.
Giving firefighters, police officers, and first responders practical ways to stay calm in the moment, reset between calls, and lean on each other to make a hard job sustainable.
The Starting Lineup.
Nine positions. Ever. Named for the nine on a baseball field and anchored by Padres legend Steve Garvey as Captain, giving back to the city that cheered him. Membership is a distinction, not a transaction: the same names anchor the circle year after year.
Every invitation is an honor extended in the Captain's name. Founding gifts endow the Legacy Fund, principal preserved, programs funded from the returns, so your name works forever.
For Steve, it's simple: San Diego spent decades cheering for him, and this is how he cheers back.
A seat at the Captain's Table. The most exclusive room at every signature evening, reserved for founding members.
Your name on real outcomes. Sponsor the EVOKicks shoes given to students in your name: a gift tied to a child, not a balance sheet.
A permanent place in the story. Founding members are unveiled on stage at An Evening with Steve Garvey, and the roster never grows.
Moments that move the mission.
Every gathering brings the community together and funds the programs that serve it. Join us in person.
An Evening with Steve Garvey
The flagship night: unveiling the Starting Lineup, honoring the Captain's legacy, and celebrating a standout EVOKicks scholar.
Get tickets →
Charity golf with the Captain
Our signature tournament, headlined by Steve Garvey, with a foursome alongside the Captain and a trophy presentation.
Sponsor the event →
EVOKicks: Step Into Success Day
A campus celebration where students receive brand new shoes, mentorship, and a day built around confidence and belonging.
Visit evokicks.org →What our community has delivered, and where we're headed together.
Born from three lives that gave to their community.
LEAD Futures was created in memory of three extraordinary people whose values became our foundation. Their Women in Tech scholarships, supporting women through four year college degrees, are the founding program of LEAD and the beginning of a broader commitment to advancing women in technology.
Kathleen Mito
A tenacious, kind, humble, and funny immigrant from Egypt who embraced every opportunity before her and never let go of her heritage. Often the only woman in the room, Kathleen never cowered, and always outstretched her hand to bring another woman to the table. Her scholarship carries that hand forward.
Jonathan Oliver
A young man whose genuine love and appreciation touched an extraordinary number of people, grounded in faith, gratitude, and service. Survived by two young nieces, Jonathan knew how important it was to create more opportunity for women in technology, and his scholarship does exactly that.
Kevin Buckley
One of the finest IT salespeople, Kevin effortlessly used his talents to mentor those new to the industry, cracking legendary "Kevin isms" along the way. His scholarship supports upcoming IT enthusiasts who want to make a tangible change, commemorating his infectious charisma and thirst for life.
Led by people who know what one open door can do.
Cesar Enciso
Founder & CEO"My parents came to the U.S. from Colombia and Nicaragua at 18. Books opened my world. I believe leaders should open doors, not guard them."
Monica Challingsworth
Executive Director and Cofounder"I've spent my career building spaces where people feel seen. LEAD is my way of giving forward what was once given to me."
Your community needs you.
Mentor, give, or bring your organization alongside us. Every hand makes the community stronger.
Become a mentor
Offer guidance, encouragement, and real world perspective to someone finding their voice.
Become a mentor →Become a mentee
Join the ecosystem and grow forward with people who believe in what's possible for you.
Become a mentee →Sponsor or participate
Support events and programs that build leadership, and put your name to work for good.
Sponsor or participate →A genuine cross sector network: organizations, schools, athletic programs, and community leaders who build alongside us.
Stories, impact updates, and ways to support leadership that lasts.
Sign up to follow our journey.