Ashanti is a mast in transforming schools into safer, more connected spaces through his workshops and a variety of products geared towards social-emotional learning. He is a pioneer in education reform and in youth mental health, with over 18 years of experience.

He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club (EFC), a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the dropout rates of marginalized students through youth mentorship and teacher professional development. 

A recipient of the 2023 US Surgeon General's Medallion (the highest honor a civilian can receive from the Surgeon General), Ashanti is a keynote speaker, a consultant on the youth mental health crisis, a Fulbright Fellow, and 4x Tedx Speaker. His work with youth as an 'emotional locksmith' has been featured at SXSW, on CNN's This is Life with Lisa Ling, on the Kelly Clarkson Show, and in the documentary about American masculinity The Mask You Live In, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Formerly a math teacher and raised in Oakland by a single mom on welfare (his father died just before he was born), Ashanti found his passion while tutoring struggling students in a school with a majority African-American and Latino population. It broke his hear to see 40% of them wanting to drop out at such a young age. By fulfilling deeper emotional needs to feel safe, seen, and heard, EFC has help 100% of its student members graduate high school, 90% enroll in higher education, and 0% become incarcerated (compared to the national incarceration rate of 8% for black makes, ages 20-24).

Notable projects include EFC's Adventure Card Game which introduces youth to the world of their feelings, created by boiling down 18+ years of deep understanding working with thousands of youth. EFC's #millionmaskmovement (Anthem Award recipient) provides a free, youth-friendly, hands-on emotional tool, with an online gallery of over 75,000 masks from around the world, searchable by age, so youth feel less alone.

EFC alumni are often the first to break generational patterns and go on to make healthier leaders, parents, and partners. Although EFC is based in California, it has nw impacted schools globally, with thousands of alumni stating, "I can truly say Ever Forward Club saved my life."

Ashanti's work is crucial as we are now at an unprecedented inflection point with youth, with this being the first generation in history expected to live shorter lives than their parents. Youth mental health has been identified as being in a state of emergency by the US Surgeon General.