From Breath to Breakthrough

In 2014, in the heart of Asbury Park, New Jersey, two young men Mychal Mills and Rodney Salomon stood at a crossroads. They had both worked with youth for years and seen a painful pattern: trauma wasn’t being healed, just managed. Schools were overwhelmed. Families were stretched thin. Youth were expected to cope, behave, perform and survive without the tools to understand their emotions or their power.

The community was hurting. But no one was offering real, sustainable solutions especially not for melanated and at risk youth navigating systems that often overlooked their brilliance and pain. So Mychal and Rodney made a life-altering decision: To stop looking outside for answers and start going within.

They turned inward toward breathwork, mindfulness, spiritual grounding, movement, and nourishing food. They began a journey of awakening through holistic wellness, discovering not only the power of their breath and thoughts, but the role of plant-based nutrition, rest, and community connection in healing the whole self.

And in doing so, they discovered tools that helped them process grief, regulate emotion, and embody peace, even in chaos. As their personal healing expanded, so did their vision. If these tools were changing their lives, they could change a generation.

And so they created KYDS, Konscious Youth Development and Service, a nonprofit rooted in one radical idea: Every person has the power to heal and awaken, from the inside out.

Where It All Began

KYDS didn’t launch in a fancy office or shiny wellness center. It began in a community café, One Mic One Soul, a spoken word and wellness event held at Kula Café. That gathering sparked a fire. Not long after, KYDS hosted its first Meditation Monday, offering free community healing sessions open to all. Word spread. People showed up. And something sacred began to take root. This wasn’t a business plan. It was a calling.

“We weren’t just trying to serve the community,” says Mychal. “We were becoming the community. Listening. Breathing. Building trust.”

In those early years, KYDS became a safe space for youth to take off their masks, feel seen, and learn that their inner world mattered. And they did it not by preaching but by modeling vulnerability, peace, and power.

Why We Do This

When KYDS started, the world was in crisis though most didn’t see it yet. A mental health epidemic was quietly sweeping through classrooms. Black and Brown youth were being disciplined, not supported. Educators were burning out. Families were disconnected. Youth were internalizing messages that told them they were too much or not enough.

KYDS emerged as a soulful intervention. “What if every child knew how to regulate their emotions, find stillness, and reconnect with themselves before reacting?” Rodney asks. “That changes everything.”

And it has. Today, KYDS is still rooted in the same mission:

To transform youth, schools, and communities through holistic practices that nurture health, harmony, and wholeness. That means breathwork. Mindfulness. Trauma-informed care. Restorative justice. SEL. Movement. Clean food. Hydration. And the understanding that healing is just as much about the nervous system as it is about the soul.

From the beginning, KYDS has always centered on belonging and cultural affirmation, especially for youth from historically underserved communities. Their spaces invite people to shed their armor and meet themselves fully, with compassion and curiosity.

Who We Are

• Mychal Mills, MBA: soft-spoken, wise, and poetic in his vision, Mychal has a background in business and a heart for inner truth.
• Rodney Salomon, BSW/MSM: passionate, grounded, and deeply intuitive, Rodney draws from his own healing and spiritual journey to guide youth and adults alike.

Together, they form a powerful balance, logic and spirit, structure and soul, both fully devoted to this mission.

Since 2014, KYDS has impacted:

• Over 45,000 youth
• More than 10,000 educators
• 200+ schools and organizations across New Jersey
• Thousands of parents and community members

And in 2024, after a decade of community-rooted work, KYDS opened its first Konscious Community Center, 631 Lake Avenue, Asbury Park, a sacred space in Asbury Park dedicated to wellness, education, and intergenerational healing. This center includes healing technologies, movement space, meditation tools, and access to nutritious, plant-based offerings that nourish the body and spirit.

Our funding comes from a mix of sources – primarily grants from organizations like Rare beauty foundation, OceanFirst Foundation, impact 100 and MonmouthCares, school based contracts (assemblies ,workshops, staff training) , individual donations through our website, and community fundraising events. We’re a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and do accept donations through our website at Konscious.org.

A Final Breath

KYDS began with a breath and every program, every circle, every workshop still begins with one. Why? Because in a world that pulls us in every direction, stillness is revolutionary.

As you read this, we invite you to take a moment. Breathe with us. Inhale into your belly. Exhale and sigh it out.

That’s the beginning of healing.

That’s where KYDS began.

And that’s where the next chapter begins together.