About CEO Foundation | Supporting Youth in Jacksonville

who we are

Creating Safer Pathways and Stronger Futures

Creating Executive Opportunities Foundation (CEO Foundation) is a Jacksonville-based nonprofit helping youth rise above adversity. Through leadership training, trauma-informed support, and school readiness initiatives, we’re bridging the gap between where young people are—and where they have the potential to go.

Our work focuses on building resilience, nurturing leadership, and breaking cycles caused by childhood adversity (ACEs). Every program we run is rooted in care, community, and real-life transformation.

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Our Mission

We prepare youth to lead by providing tools, trauma-informed support, and civic engagement opportunities.

Our Vision

A future where every child, regardless of adversity, has the support to lead, thrive, and uplift others.

Our Philosophy

We believe every child has leadership potential, but not every child has the same starting line. That’s why we meet them where they are—with compassion, structure, and support—and walk with them toward who they’re meant to become.

Who We Serve

We work with children and teens across Northeast Florida, with a focus on those facing emotional, financial, or educational hardship. Whether it’s through our CEO Academy or our Back-to-School initiative, we’re committed to lifting young lives, one student at a time.

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Vision

A future where every child, regardless of adversity, has the support to lead, thrive, and uplift others.

Our Vision

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Story From The Founder

When I started Creating Executive Opportunities Foundation, it wasn’t just about backpacks or leadership programs. It was about healing.

As someone who has personally experienced the weight of trauma, I understand what it feels like to carry silent burdens into classrooms, workplaces, and relationships. I also know what it takes to rise above it—with the right support, mentorship, and belief that you matter.

That’s why this work is so close to my heart.

I created CEO Foundation to make sure our youth don’t have to walk alone. Through programs like the CEO Academy and our Back-to-School Drive, we’re giving young people more than supplies—we’re giving them tools to break cycles, build confidence, and become leaders in their own right.

This isn’t charity—it’s transformation. And it’s only possible because of people like you who see the bigger picture and choose to invest in the future.

Let’s keep building it—together.

– Melvia Rouse
Founder, CEO Foundation