OUR STORY

Built on Belief.
Grown Through Purpose.

"We don't give up on young people. We give them a reason to show up. And then we show up with them."

- Kristen Geez, Founder & Executive Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kemmiko Grant

Board Member

John Waggoner

Board Member

Ellen Billings

Board Member

Mickie Smith

Board Member

Advising Generation Z Foundation was launched in November 2010 by Kristen Geez at age 21. She believed that young people don't lack potential. They lack someone willing to stay.

The organization started with mentoring. Lipstick Ready and Shepherds of Healing were the first two programs: group mentoring sessions run by college students in their practicum hours who wanted careers in education, criminal justice, and psychology. They went into schools, courts, and recreation centers and met young people where they were. That was the foundation.

Over time, AGZ expanded its reach. In 2021, the AdvisingGenz digital learning platform was launched, making behavior accountability, mental health support, and career exploration digital and accessible across multiple states. In 2022, the Discipline Reimagined Journey launched as AGZ's first cross-sector culture transformation initiative. We activated 318 learning labs and reached 7,400 young people across Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

In 2024, AGZ expanded its young adult programming into the workforce space through a partnership with FCCP Property Management Group to develop G-WIZ Adventures. This 35-acre STEAM destination at Bison Ranch & Retreats in Decatur, Texas, now serves as AGZ's fourth core program for career entry through professional development.

In 2026, AGZ launched the Classroom to Career Initiative. Because 16 years of meeting young people in crisis revealed a consistent truth: what they needed wasn't just accountability. They needed a destination. And that destination is a career they can see themselves in.

LEADERSHIP TEAM