Our Mission & Story

Empowering the Next Generation to Discover Their Value
Beauty Within—Teen Esteem Foundation is a community dedicated to teenagers, college students, and young adults.

While we are currently in the process of securing our official 501(c)(3) non-profit status, we are already actively offering relief, assistance, and hope to deserving youth everywhere.

Our Mission
Founded in June 2010 by Eric Anthony Devezin, our mission is to deliver assistance that fosters self-esteem, self-awareness, self-love, and positive thinking. We promote education and social development, helping young people learn to genuinely love who they are.

All foundation efforts are geared toward resolving the ongoing struggles teens face daily—including peer pressure, poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and disease—replacing these struggles with hope for the future.

Our Philosophy & Vision
We were founded on the premise that the lives of all teens have equal value.

Our goal is to ensure that all youth have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential for personal growth in a healthy environment. When a young person's social and emotional needs are met, they are more likely to develop into healthy, confident, responsible, productive, and independent adults.

Investing in our youth today is the most brilliant investment we can make for the future.

Our Approach
Beauty Within—Teen Esteem identifies worthy projects across the United States that align with our mission. We don't just raise funds; we ensure those funds are managed prudently and used effectively to bring projects to a successful conclusion.

Our Role Includes:

Identifying Needs: Finding individuals and communities that fit the Foundation’s criteria.

Communicating & Fundraising: Sharing those needs with potential donors and raising the necessary funds.

Execution & Accountability: Working with project directors to ensure successful project execution and accountability to our donors.

A Note from the Founder
I am a professional makeup artist in the fashion, film, TV, and entertainment industry. I ended up here because my mom always told me, "I don't care what you do—just be the best at it." That advice goes a very long way.

However, I’ve learned that the road to becoming adult men and women is not always easy. Along the way, I recognized a great need for people to give back to their communities to help smooth that path for others. I especially enjoy caring for children with special needs.

That desire to address those needs is why I launched Beauty Within Teen Esteem. The very first year we launched BWTE, we had an audience full of special needs teens from LAUSD. It was amazing to see their faces light up! That is the energy that drives us forward.

— Eric A. Devezin

Current Goals & How To Help
We have ambitious goals for the immediate future to expand our reach.

Our Fundraising Goal: $5,000. We are currently aiming to raise $5,000 to serve a two-fold purpose:

$3,500 will go directly into program costs for our teens.

$1,500 will help cover the administrative costs required to finalize our 501(c)(3) status, which will benefit our donors in the future.

Your contributions help us support as many teens as possible, including at our upcoming "I Am Esteem" Day event on August 8, 2026.

Other Ways You Can Help: Any financial contributions are greatly appreciated!

If you are unable to make a financial contribution, you can still be a vital part of our campaign by spreading the word. Share our message and blog posts through social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram) and by word of mouth. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors!

Leadership

Eric A. Devezin, Co-Founder/President

L. Palmer, Co-Founder/Executive Director

I. Brown, Trustee, Corporate Officer

H. Brown, Trustee, Chief Financial Officer

Kevin Boone, Trustee

A. Griffin, Trustee

S. Montinola, Trustee



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