We were lucky to catch up with Alba Danely recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alba, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?
When I first started Our Generation Cares, it wasn’t about hiring, it was about answering a call. In the beginning, it was just me… and youth. These were young people showing up, eager to create, to lead, and to be part of something bigger than themselves. That’s when I realized – we had something powerful here. Something this generation wasn’t being given by the systems around them: real opportunity, real trust, and real community.
These weren’t staff interviews. These were porch conversations, DM check-ins, sidewalk brainstorms. Youth showed up with passion, with raw talent, with lived experience that shaped the way we built every program, every enterprise, every event. We didn’t train them, they taught us just as much. It was organic, it was imperfect, and it was rooted in love and urgency.
Our “team” was a family. Volunteers became mentors, youth became co-creators. We didn’t have salaries or titles. We had commitment, creativity, and community care. That was our currency.
If I were starting today, I’d hold even tighter to that trust in young people. I’d start with their voices from day one, louder, more visible, and more supported. Because what became clear early on is that this generation isn’t lacking ambition or brilliance—they’re lacking access. And that’s what we’re here to shift.
At OGC and through our social enterprises, we’re not building a nonprofit. We’re building a blueprint for liberation, led by youth, powered by community, and grounded in the belief that they are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hi, I’m Alba Danely, a proud Latina, community builder, and the Executive Director of Our Generation Cares (OGC): a nonprofit and movement rooted in love, justice, and the belief that our next generation isn’t just the future, they’re the now.
I didn’t enter this work through a traditional career path. I came into it through lived experience, through heartbreak and hope, through seeing the same cycles of poverty, violence, and marginalization repeated in our communities—and refusing to accept that as the norm. I saw what happens when youth are dismissed instead of heard, when their brilliance goes untapped, and when they’re left to survive systems that weren’t built for them. That’s what pushed me to build something different.
Our Generation Cares was born not from a business plan, but from community need and youth action. It started with young people showing up, hungry to create, lead, heal, and grow. We listened. We created space. And together, we built a platform that uplifts, equips, and invests in youth from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, foster, low-income, and unhoused backgrounds.
What We Do:
OGC provides a mix of direct programming and social enterprise experiences, blending community care with skill-building, mentorship, and economic empowerment. Our programs and businesses are designed by and for youth, with support from industry mentors. Some of our key offerings include:
Mentorship & Leadership Training
Workforce & Entrepreneurial Development
Mental Health & Wellness Programming
Creative Studios for Music, Podcasting, and Digital Media
Hands-on Experience through Our Social Enterprises:
The Next Gen Garage (music & publishing studio)
Desperado Café & REC Coffee (food-based ventures)
Long Beach Latino Chamber of Commerce (youth-focused entrepreneurship)
OGCares Labs (business, tech, and financial literacy incubator)
We also host transformational events like Swag & Grace (August 16th, 2025): a gala that prepares youth to step into professional spaces with confidence.
The Problems We Solve:
Lack of access to mentorship, especially for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth
Barriers to employment and economic mobility
Gaps in emotional support and mental health care
Disconnection from identity, community, and purpose
Youth being excluded from decision-making spaces that directly impact them
What Sets Us Apart:
We’re not about charity, we’re about co-powerment. Our work doesn’t speak for youth, it’s led with them. We blend healing with hustle. Culture with commerce. Joy with justice. We don’t just help youth navigate systems, we’re helping them rebuild and reimagine them.
This isn’t just a nonprofit. It’s an ecosystem where youth thrive, learn, build, and dream—while also being paid, mentored, and seen. We invest in the whole person, not just the “potential employee.”
What I’m Most Proud Of:
I’m most proud of the youth who walk through our doors and walk out believing in themselves. I’m proud of watching them grow into leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and mentors for the next generation. I’m proud that we’re creating pathways where there were once only obstacles. And I’m proud that we do it with love, laughter, and radical community care.
What I Want You to Know:
If you’re reading this, I want you to know that our work is about possibility. It’s about showing youth what’s possible when we pour into them with intention and authenticity. I want you to know that there’s a place for you in this movement—whether you’re a mentor, donor, collaborator, or someone who just believes in the power of youth. We’re not here to fix people. We’re here to build with them.
Because when our generation cares, we change everything.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Running a nonprofit with youth—not just for them—means pivoting isn’t the exception. It’s the rhythm.
One moment that really stands out was when we were planning one of our first big events. We had secured a venue, lined up speakers, and even started promoting it. But a week before the event, our funding fell through. The youth on our team were devastated. They had put in so much time, so many ideas, and were excited to see it all come to life. For a split second, I felt that familiar nonprofit panic creep in—but then something shifted.
Instead of canceling, we circled up and said, “Okay—what can we do?”
And that’s the magic of working with young people who haven’t always had access but have always had ideas. They’re used to creating something out of nothing. So we pivoted: we moved the event outdoors to a community space, we tapped into our network for donated food and supplies, and we leaned all the way into DIY culture. The youth designed their own signage, led their own panels, and even set up a makeshift stage with borrowed equipment. It turned out better than we imagined—because it was raw, real, and 100% community-powered.
That experience reminded me: when traditional resources aren’t available, innovation is. And honestly, that’s what makes this work beautiful. We’re not replicating cookie-cutter programs—we’re inventing new models. We’re not just responding to barriers—we’re redefining what’s possible in spite of them.
At Our Generation Cares, pivoting is a daily practice. A youth loses housing—pivot. A mentor can’t show up—pivot. A grant deadline shifts—pivot. But every one of those moments gives us a chance to do something better, more creative, more connected to the people we serve.
So yeah—we pivot constantly. But that’s not a weakness. That’s our superpower.
Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?
Yes, I’ve bought into a couple of businesses, but not for profit. I did it for purpose.
When I invested in Desperado Café and REC Coffee, it wasn’t about owning a restaurant or coffee shop, it was about creating real-world learning labs where youth could gain hands-on experience in hospitality, customer service, operations, and financial literacy. We saw how many young people were interested in the food and service industry, but didn’t have the access, mentorship, or paid opportunities to explore it. So we bought into spaces that could become theirs too.
But I didn’t stop there.
I also started The NextGen Garage, a music and podcast studio that includes a merchandise design and production hub. I built it from the ground up with the help of a trusted community member and mentor who generously provided equipment and technical support. Together, we turned it into a creative engine where youth record, mix, produce, design, and learn the business side of their art. It’s not just about making music, it’s about building careers, understanding intellectual property, launching clothing lines, and finding their voice—literally and figuratively.
All of our investments are intentionally chosen based on what youth are already passionate about, industries where they see themselves thriving if just given the chance. From music and media to food and entrepreneurship, we’re not imposing opportunities, we’re cultivating them, walking alongside youth as they discover and step into their power.
And the best part? They don’t just gain skills, they gain vision. They start to see themselves not just as workers, but as innovators, creators, and owners.
That’s what makes this different. We’re not just running businesses, we’re building blueprints for youth-led futures. And we’re doing it with care, creativity, and a whole lot of hustle.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ourgenerationcares.org
- Instagram: @ourgenerationcares
