Our founder and Director, John Padilla, lost his little brother Jack to suicide in 2019, when Jack was just fifteen years old. Since then, John has dedicated his life to suicide prevention.

The Mountain in My Mind is the 1st ski and snowboard film specifically all about mental health and the experiences and diagnoses that can lead people to suicide. Follow along here or our Instagram @MountainInMyMind

He started, JackStrong17, which has now grown to over 300 active volunteers; comprised of teenagers, college students, adults, lawmakers, activists, news anchors, journalists, filmmakers, professional athletes, and scientific researchers.

The group has one goal: destigmatize talking about suicide for teenagers.

Our collective efforts have resulted in bipartisan legislation, viral public service announcements, school walk-outs, two feature-length documentaries, groundbreaking scientific discoveries, countless news stories and journal articles, and a memorial scholarship.