Meet Jorge

In 2017, Jorge Alvarez was a freshman at Rutgers University, navigating one of the most challenging times of his life. “How could I, someone who was always smiling and happy, get so depressed?” he wondered. Seeking help at his campus counseling center was a pivotal moment—especially as a Latino man, where cultural stigma often serves as a barrier to mental health care. That decision not only changed his life but also set him on the path to becoming a leading voice in the youth mental health movement.

Jorge’s advocacy journey began on campus, where he led Rutgers’ Active Minds chapter to become the largest student-run mental health organization in just one year. But in 2021, during the height of the pandemic, he took his advocacy to TikTok, sharing his experiences with collectivism, mental health, and healing. A viral video about guilt in BIPOC communities catapulted him into the digital advocacy space, growing his platform to over 100,000 followers in just four months. Since then, Jorge has continued to challenge mainstream narratives about mental health, using storytelling, advocacy, and digital organizing to engage and mobilize his audience.

His expertise and influence have led him to collaborate with major brands and institutions, including MTV, TikTok, Pinterest, and the Biden-Harris Administration. In 2022, he was selected by MTV as one of 30 youth leaders for the inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House, where he co-created and pitched a mental health campaign that Pinterest later funded. That same year, he was one of just 10 recipients of the $50,000 TikTok Latinx Creatives Grant, supporting his vision to build impactful mental health resources and campaigns.

Since then, Jorge’s career has expanded beyond digital advocacy. He is now a social impact strategist and consultant, advising organizations on creating meaningful and action-driven mental health campaigns, research projects, programs, and policy. His mental health advocacy and progressive activism have been recognized in TIME, Fast Company, The New York Times, and Business Insider, and in 2024, he was invited to attend the Democratic National Convention (DNC) as 1 of 300 creators to attend for the first time in history and lead conversations at the White House Youth Policy Summit, where he later secured a $20,000 grant to advance youth mental health advocacy. Jorge was also recognized as 1 of 30 youths to receive the inaugural Young Leaders in Behavioral Health Award in recognition of his ongoing impact at the Behavioral Health Tech Conference supported by Hopelab.

Jorge continues to challenge how mental health is discussed—centering intersectionality, lived experience, and community-driven change. Through speaking engagements, brand partnerships, and storytelling, he’s helping shape a future where mental health advocacy is more inclusive, actionable, and representative of the voices that need to be heard most.