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ASPIRING YOUTH ACADEMY
SCOTTSDALE, AZ · EIN 812270726 · Form 990 · FY2021 · NTEE O50 · Youth Development · Small ($100K-$1M) · aspiringyouth.org
revenue
$382K
expenses
$263K
net assets
$429K
employees
0
volunteers
8
program ratio
95%
mission · from form 990

PROVIDE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING TO ARIZONA YOUTH, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, SO STUDENTS HAVE A GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Aspiring Youth Academy (AYA) is an Arizona-based operational nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and leadership programs for teens aged 14-18. AYA offers innovation camps, pitch events, and mentorship opportunities, often in collaboration with universities and other educational organizations. The organization focuses on empowering youth to develop essential skills for future success.

named programs · 6 · from sources

what they call their work

AYA Innovation Hub +Powered by ASU
Provides tools and resources for schools and out-of-school programs to spark creativity and real-world problem-solving through hands-on activities, mentorship, and project-based learning.
Aspiring Teen Leaders
A program for high school leaders to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs, with investment in their own leadership and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Future Innovator program
Connects mentors with aspiring young entrepreneurs to provide guidance, encouragement, and real-world insight.
Money Smart Summer Cohort
An instructor-led curriculum providing practical knowledge, skills-building opportunities, and resources for young adults to manage finances with confidence.
Spring Break Innovation Camp
A free camp in collaboration with ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, designed to inspire students with teamwork, creative problem-solving, and pitching ideas.
Teen Pitch Events (Aspire to Pitch!)
Events where participants give a 3-minute pitch on a problem and their solution, how it helps, and how they'd use funding, followed by Q&A with judges.
activities · 3 groups

what they do

  • Youth Business Leadership & Scholarship Programs 7 activities
    • Innovation Hub programs for youth creativity and problem-solving
      Provides tools and resources through the AYA Innovation Hub to foster creativity and real-world problem-solving among teens, with programs impacting hundreds of participants annually.
    • Innovation Hub resource provision
      Provides tools and resources through the AYA Innovation Hub to support youth creativity and real-world problem-solving skills.
    • Innovation Hub resource provision
      Provides tools and resources through the AYA Innovation Hub to support youth creativity and real-world problem-solving skills development.
    • Teen Pitch Events
      Organizes "Teen Pitch Events" where participants deliver 3-minute pitches that include problem identification, proposed solutions, target beneficiaries, and plans for funding utilization.
    • Teen Pitch Events
      Organizes "Teen Pitch Events" where participants deliver 3-minute pitches that include problem identification, proposed solutions, target beneficiaries, and plans for funding use.
    • Teen Pitch Events
      Organizes "Teen Pitch Events" where participants deliver 3-minute pitches that include problem identification, proposed solutions, target beneficiaries, and plans for funding utilization, fostering entrepreneurial communication and critical thinking.
    • Teen Pitch Events for youth entrepreneurs
      Organizes "Teen Pitch Events" where participants deliver 3-minute pitches that include problem identification, proposed solutions, target beneficiaries, and plans for funding utilization, supporting youth in developing and presenting entrepreneurial ideas.
  • Youth Financial Literacy Education 2 activities
    • Financial Literacy Program
      ASPIRING YOUTH ACADEMY conducts financial literacy programs for teens, such as the one offered during the 2025 summer cohort.
    • Financial literacy programming
      Conducted a financial literacy program for teens during the 2025 summer cohort, equipping youth with foundational financial skills.
  • Uncategorized 6 activities
    • Free Spring Innovation Camp in partnership with ASU
      Hosts a free Spring Innovation Camp in collaboration with ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, featuring experiential activities such as zip lines and hiking, and teaching skills including teamwork, creative problem-solving, and idea pitching.
    • Innovation Hub programming for youth
      Provides tools and resources through the AYA Innovation Hub to foster creativity and real-world problem-solving among teens, with programs impacting hundreds annually.
    • Spring Innovation Camp
      Hosts a free Spring Innovation Camp in collaboration with ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, featuring experiential activities such as zip lines and hiking, and teaching teamwork, creative problem-solving, and idea pitching.
    • Spring Innovation Camp
      Hosts a free Spring Innovation Camp in collaboration with ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, featuring experiential activities such as zip lines and hiking, and teaching skills including teamwork, creative problem-solving, and idea pitching.
    • Spring Innovation Camp
      Hosts a free Spring Innovation Camp in collaboration with ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, featuring experiential activities like zip lines and hiking, and teaching skills such as teamwork, creative problem-solving, and idea pitching.
    • Youth Innovation Programs
      ASPIRING YOUTH ACADEMY provides tools and resources through its AYA Innovation Hub to foster creativity and real-world problem-solving among hundreds of teens annually. This includes hosting a free Spring Innovation Camp in collaboration with ASU, which teaches teamwork, creative problem-solving, and pitching ideas, and organizing "Teen Pitch Events" where participants present solutions to identified problems.
financials · form 990 · fy2021
revenue
Total revenue$382K
Contributions & grants$382K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$263K
Program expenses95%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineOther
balance sheet
Total assets$434K
Cash$434K
Investments$0
Liabilities$6K
Net assets$429K
Liquid reserves19.8 mo
3 years on record · 2019–2021 · YoY revenue +43.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021

who runs it

board members · 5
  • ANDREW BACCARO — DIRECTOR
  • GREGORY DERR — SECRETARY & TREASURER
  • JEFFREY BURG — PRESIDENT
  • RYAN KATES — DIRECTOR
  • TOM CAPALDI — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 13

who they work with

  • 20/30 Club of Phoenix Partner — Founded Aspiring Youth Academy in 2014 and shares a unified vision to uplift children, foster personal leadership growth, and ignite the power within young people.
  • ASU Partner — Supports the AYA Innovation Hub with resources.
  • ASU Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute Partner — Listed as a resource for training, development, funding, and advancing ideas for entrepreneurs.
  • ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute Partner — Collaborates on hosting the Spring Innovation Camp.
  • Arizona Council on Economic Education Partner — Offers student programs to teach K-12 students about economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship.
  • Arizona State University Partner — Partners with the university to offer educational opportunities.
  • Diego Luna Partner — Financial literacy instructor for the Money Smart Summer Cohort 2025
  • FDIC Partner — Provides the Money Smart for Young Adults (MSYA) curriculum for financial literacy.
  • Invention Convention Arizona Partner — Teaches students problem-identification, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and creativity skills.
  • Khan Academy Partner — Provides personal finance tutorials.
  • Shopify Partner — Provides resources for students to start their e-commerce journey and learn about young entrepreneurs.
  • The University of Arizona Partner — Promotes programs for students to learn about business on campus.
  • Uriah Cachora Partner — Financial literacy instructor for the Money Smart Summer Cohort 2025