Our Mission
When given the right tools, every child can become the best version of themselves. We empower children during their formative years to adopt a growth mindset, improve themselves holistically, and positively impact others.
We prioritize three initiatives:
Reframing wellness as a holisitc and collective effort
Creating programs that address physical, mental, and emotional health needs in children
Working with families, local leaders, organizations, and community stakeholders to improve physical and mental health outcomes in our community
Preparing children for successful futures and adult life
Introducing key life skills
Helping children discover their purpose through career awareness
Teaching children the importance of accountability and ownership over their choices
Teaching children to improve the quality of life for others through community service
Closing the wellness accessibility gap
Aiding families experiencing financial hardship
Providing access to tools that include nutrition education, fitness programs, mental health resources, and community wellness events
Organizing strategic outreach to benefit underserved communities
Meet the Founder
Donté Brown
“Many people helped me become who I am today. Without that encouragement and guidance, I’m not sure where I’d be.”
THE Founder's Story
Becoming more than expected
Donté founded Donte’s Boxing and Wellness Foundation with one goal in mind: help children become their best selves.
His mission was formulated from his own origin story that begins in the Trinidad neighborhood of Washington, D.C., roughly 30 miles from where the foundation headquarters sits now.
Of all the things Donté can tell you about growing up in one of D.C.’s roughest neighborhoods, he’ll point to his time at Eastern Senior High School as the most life-changing.
Considered an “at-risk” student, he was selected to participate in a program that would guarantee both admission and paid tuition for college. There were just three conditions: maintain a 2.0 GPA (at minimum), don’t get suspended (for any reason), and don’t get pregnant (or get someone else pregnant).
It was a bleak proposition for a high schooler but unsurprising in an environment where students had to wear see-through backpacks and process through metal detectors.
Out of the 150 students that started in the program, only 12 graduated from high school. Out of those 12, just four graduated from college. Donté was one of the four.
He credits the people who took an interest in his life––people like his high school counselor, Mrs. Peterson––with helping him imagine a brighter future and becoming who he is today.
He also credits boxing.
His evolution, from student obsessed with learning everything he could about the sport, to trainer, business owner, and founder of a non-profit, has been possible through a unifying power––the ability, namely through boxing, to challenge and improve himself each day.
"The heart of the foundation’s mission is to ensure that every child, regardless of background, can fulfill their purpose and make a life worth living."
From these experiences, Donté recognized the tremendous value of self-discovery through boxing. By extending the same opportunity to youth, they’d have a better chance of becoming successful, independent adults who could positively impact the world around them.
Today’s youth face many obstacles including intense peer pressure, low self-esteem, and serious mental health challenges. To help them overcome, children today need more than a classroom to succeed––they need a united community.
Donte’s Boxing and Wellness Foundation positions itself as a hub for self-improvement, community support, and service to others.
The heart of the foundation’s mission is to ensure that every child, regardless of background, can fulfill their purpose and make a life worth living.