Before

Defining the Problem

The original problem we set out to solve was teen isolation—specifically the lack of in-person events. I didn’t want to project a made-up solution onto it, so I created a survey and sent it to students at Sequoyah, Polytechnic, Waverly, Westridge, Pasadena Waldorf, Blair, and PHS. We wanted real data to back up our outreach—and we got it. That data helped us get buy-in from adults with resources. One parent offered to invest (we’re not for-profit, so we declined). People believed in us. That belief made our mission real—to build a scalable teen collective rooted in in-person connection.

Arc

My arc wasn’t really an arc—it was more of a pulse. Maybe even an explosion. It technically started before the school year began, during the summer, because I already knew what I wanted to do: create something that, if it had existed a few years ago, would have made me feel less lonely. So Gracie and I co-founded TOADS. I got the website Toads.com and started building. We held our first meeting, brought in new members, made connections—we were on a roll. Then the world caught fire. The wildfires halted everything. But at a potential merger meeting, I met Faye. After one call, we made a poster for school supplies. Some people criticized us—”That’s not what people need right now.” A classmate even said, “If you really cared, you’d be helping with base needs.” Faye dropped out. I brought it back to TOADS. Gracie, saint that she is, set up pickup spots and reached out to larger orgs. A post I made on our Instagram went viral—over 500,000 views. I foolishly used my real number, so I was fielding calls from teachers in Florida, moms in Vancouver, and a lot of people worrying about my car warranty. Manhattan Beach even reposted us.