Dakota Foundation Awards Carbondale-based Youthentity with 2026 Helms Award for Social Entrepreneurship
Dakota Foundation has selected Carbondale, Colorado-based youth education nonprofit, Youthentity, as the recipient of its 2026 Ian K. Helms Award for Social Entrepreneurship. The award provides up to $100,000 in capital to philanthropic organizations to be applied toward launching social ventures. The Dakota Foundation awarded a $40,000 grant to Youthentity with the intention to make a program-related investment once Youthentity has established its proof-of-concept for the award.
Youthentity will use the award to expand the Youthentity Works Market, a social enterprise that gives students hands-on experience running a real business, applying the financial literacy and career skills they have developed through Youthentity’s programs. This initiative creates an earned revenue stream that supports organizational sustainability while deepening the educational impact for the youth served.
“We are deeply grateful to the Dakota Foundation for recognizing Youthentity with the Ian Helms Award for Social Entrepreneurship,” said Kristina Freeman, Executive Director of Youthentity. “This award reflects the power of innovative, mission-driven work that creates meaningful social impact while strengthening long-term sustainability for nonprofit organizations. At Youthentity, we believe entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and career readiness create pathways to opportunity for young people across our communities. We are honored to be part of Ian Helms’ legacy of social entrepreneurship and community investment.”
Founded in 2002 and based in the Roaring Fork Valley, Youthentity delivers career exploration and financial literacy programs to more than 8,500 youth annually across 25 Colorado counties. For high school students, Youthentity’s Career Academies offer for-credit, semester or year-long programs in Construction Technology, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management, Animal Care, Health Occupations, and Real Estate, Finance & Entrepreneurship, all taught by industry professionals. For younger students, Youthentity’s I Am Financial Knowledge program introduces the fundamentals of credit, interest, and personal money management to 5th and 8th graders. Youthentity holds GuideStar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency.
"Youthentity embodies the Dakota Foundation's mission to equip people with the tools to help themselves, fostering economic independence through high-quality education and genuine entrepreneurial opportunity," said Kelsey Nolan, President and CEO of the Dakota Foundation. "Their work building sustainable earned revenue through the Youthentity Works Market while expanding career and financial literacy education for thousands of young Coloradans is exactly what the Ian K. Helms Award was designed to support."
The Ian K. Helms Award is named in memory of Captain Ian K. Helms, a 2008 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Captain Helms was a Distinguished Graduate of the Academy and served as Wing Commander (the highest-ranking cadet). He received a graduate degree from Oxford University while studying on the Alberta and Sidney Holaday Scholarship, seeded by the Dakota Foundation, at Exeter College. Captain Helms flew a B-1 bomber in combat, supporting U.S. military efforts in the Middle East. He tragically succumbed to cancer in 2016. In honor of Helms’ legacy of leadership, patriotism and devotion to service, the Dakota Foundation created the award in his name.