JUAN ACOSTA

Juan Acosta age 25, grew up in Woodland CA. He is a first generation Mexican Immigrant. He attended and graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelors in Psychology. Juan began his advocacy work locally at the age of thirteen and accumulated over 200+ community service hours by the age of fifteen. Since then Juan has done work throughout the state of California, nationally, & globally. He has served on national committees, speaks at conferences and festivals some include: United Nations Side Events, Mental Health America, Human Rights Campaign and more. Juan is a New York Times bestselling author for a book co-authored with Lady Gaga, CHANNEL KINDNESS: Stories of Kindness and Community. At age 21, Juan drafted a historic LGBTQ+ proclamation for his hometown of Woodland, CA. He has collaborated with numerous organizations and brands. He has been featured by Mashable, Oprah Magazine, DOSOMETHING and more. He currently serves as one of the regional managers for the CalHOPE Warm Line. 
​​
Awards include:
Governor & First Lady Service Award
The Presidential Service Award.
NAMI Rising Star Award 
 Steinberg Institute Mental Health Champion 2021 


Published Author with Lady Gaga + BTWF authors : 

https://www.channelkindness.org/book/​

Juan Acosta drafted a historic LGBTQ+ proclamation for the city of Woodland, CA. That passed unanimously for the first time in the town's history. A similar attempt was made in 1998 and failed to pass through the City Council

Juan served as an Inaugural Reporter for Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, via their Channel Kindness platform. 
​
Juan was selected as one of the fifteen members of the Youth Innovation Project Planning Committee for California's Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.

Juan served as one of the six members nationally selected for Mental Health America’s Collegiate Mental Health Innovation Council!

Juan was selected as 1 out of the 30 youth participants to participate in MTV + The White House Youth Mental Health Action Forum

Juan has had numerous media appearances, speaking engagements and collaborations some include:

MHA College Report

KGET

Dancing In the Grey

The Power Of Kindness with Lady Gaga

SHOUTOUT LA

Free Your Me Campaign

Human Rights Campaign

Global Harvard X MHA

Blueshield X Commonwealth Club

Mental Illness Happy Hour

Mashable

LA Public Library

DOSOMETHING

NAMI WLA
 
Couched In Color 

New York University

Minding Your Mind

Blueshield

The Riff

Univision​

Commonwealth Club

Channel Kindness Tour

320 Festival

Fierce Reads

IDONTMIND

YOUNGA